s met at Professor Fabrizi's house in Florenc

chists and Liberals of various shades. On one point, however, they were all agreed; that of dissatisfaction with the Tuscan censorship; and the popular professor had called th

wave of liberal enthusiasm caused by it was already spreading over Italy. In Tuscany even the government appeared to have been affected by the astound

rt a newspaper till we can get the press-law changed; we should not bring out the first number. But we may be able t

ry his theory of the line which should b

all not see such a favourable one again for bringing forward serious reforms. But I doubt the pamphlets doing any good. They will only irritate and frighten the government instea

would you h

tit

e Gran

ntation of the lib

tting by the window turned

should have thought the result of the Renzi case wa

really-I do not wish to hurt the sensibilities of anyone, but I cannot help thinking that our failure in that ca

ence and impatience lay, unless you found them in the strings of meek petitions we sent in. That ma

Piedmontese, "Neapolitan veh

eir way and Piedmontese customs in theirs; but just now we are in Tuscany, and the Tuscan custom is to stick

all the pleasure in life. But I don't think mere petitioning and nothing

government into a state of mind in which it

the table. "Gentlemen, you're on the wrong tack. Conciliating the

than done; how are

f course he'd start by knoc

"You always think if a man comes from down sout

en? Sh! Attention, gentlemen!

os and threes, carrying on separate discussions, collected rou

ope. People seem to think that, because he has struck out a new line and granted this amnesty, we have only to throw ourselves-all of us, the whole of Italy-

ht to feel flattered--" Gra

in his turn. "It's a most extraordinary thing that you two n

gh and, of course, the reactionists all over Italy will lie quiet for a month or two till the excitement about the amnesty blows over; but they are not likely to let the power be taken out of their hands without a fight, an

likely

Grand Duke to put us bodily under Jesuit rule, with perhaps a few Austrian hussars to patrol the streets and keep u

st what blow

an organized propaganda and a

ng declaration

out their secrets, and calling upon the

no Jesuits he

d see how many we shall have. It'll

Jesuits one must speak plainly; and if you

vade it; I wo

t's all very well, but the fact is, we have all

mphlets openly, with our names and address

exclaimed. "It is simply putting one's head i

ut in sharply; "we shouldn't ask you

s ready as you are to go to prison if there's any good to be got by it, but it is childish

what

, to fight the Jesuits without coming

w you are going

o clothe what one has to say i

or artisan and labourer to find out the meaning by the light of the ignor

sor, turning to a broad-shouldered man with a

ave more facts to go upon. It's a question of tr

ou, Sa

gnora Bolla has to say. Her su

her chin on one hand and listening in silence to the discussion. She had deep, serious bl

said; "that I disag

st of it is that you are al

n't do it with one weapon we must with another. But mere defiance is a feeble

with a solemn face; "that you are not su

Galli sniggered outright. Even the gra

gh to talk about them. But the deadliest weapon I know is ridicule. If you can once succeed in rendering the J

goes," Fabrizi said; "but I don't see how

ting over the censorship difficulty than a serious one; and, if it must be cloaked, the average reader is mor

satirical pamphlets, or attempt to run a comic paper?

, to be sold cheap or distributed free about the streets, would be very useful. If we could fin

the thing is to be done at all it must be well done. We sho

pect to the company, I am afraid that a general attempt to be humorous wo

really gifted satirist-there must be one to be got somewhere in Italy, surely-and offer to provide the necessary funds. O

gers of one hand; and none of them are available. Giusti wouldn't accept; he is fully occupied a

st, a want of political savoir faire if we were to treat this solemn question of civil and religious liberty as a subject for trifling. Florence

g; "but it was 'rather sluggish from its

he table. "Why, we never though

is

mber him? One of Muratori's band that came

u? I remember your travelling wit

laugh, once the insurrection had failed, and so he had better go to Paris. No doubt he agreed with Signor Grassini that Tuscany is the w

me did y

n Leghorn; it was enough to break one's heart to look at poor Lambertini; but there was no keeping one's countenance when Rivarez was in the room; it was one perpetual fire of absurdities.

itical skits in the French pape

gglers up in the Apennines called him 'the Gadfly' because of

Paris and Vienna is, I believe, very far from spotless. He appears to be a gentleman of-a-a-many adventures and unknown antecedents. It is said that he was picked up out of charity by Duprez's expedition somewhere in the wilds of tropical South America, in a state of inconceivable savagery and degradation. I believe he has never satisfactorily explained how he came to be in

ith an angry ring in his voice. "It's all very well to be particular and exclusive, Grassini; but

been taken prisoner in the war, fighting for the Argentine Republic, and had escaped. He was wandering about the country in various disguises, trying to get back to Buenos Ayres. But the story of their taking him on out of charity is a pure fabrication. Their interpreter had fallen ill and been obliged t

about a man who could lay his 'come hither' on two old campaigners like

he companions who were with a man on a three years' expedition in savage countries, and the comrades who were with him thr

were all devoted to him. Moreover, he is a personal friend of Orsini. It's quite true, on the other hand, that there are endless cock-and-bull stories

e that I saw him once when the refugees were here. Was he

description somewhere here," he said. "You remember when they escaped and hid in the mountain passes their personal appea

him a lift, and rode the whole day in one of their waggons, telling them harrowing stories of how he had been taken captive by the rebels and dragged off into their haunts in the mountains, and of the fearful tortures that he had suffered at their hands. They showed him

urnalist. Short; black hair; black beard; dark skin; eyes, blue; forehead, broad and square; nose, mouth, chin---' Yes, here it is: 'Special marks: right foot lame; left

managed to deceive the search-party with suc

t the air of confiding innocence that he can put on when he chooses would bring a man through anything. Well, gentlemen, what do you think of the

unded upon the subject, just to find out whet

of fighting the Jesuits; he is the most savage anti-cler

you write

land, I think. He's the most restless being; always

sion. When at last the company began to disp

ee you ho

to have a busine

ith the addresses

t this week. They were both quite unimportant, and it may have been accidental; but we cannot afford to have

w. I am not going to talk business

not

are depres

not parti