After a while there was a deep sound from outside. The procession was

approaching. It came on like a great tidal wave and flowed into the vast

place in the gathering darkness with the light of a hundred fresh

torches.

In less than half-an-hour the ruined amphitheatre was a moving mass of

heads from the ground to its upmost storey. Long sinuous trails of blue

smoke swept across the people's faces, and the great brown mass of

circular stones was lit up in fitful gleams.

Roma was lifted off her feet by the breaker of human beings that surged

around. At one moment she was conscious of some one behind who was

pressing the people back and making room for her. At the next moment she

was aware that through the multitudinous murmur of voices that rumbled

as in a vault somebody near her was trying to speak.

The speaking ceased and there was a sharp crackle of applause which had

the effect of producing silence. In this silence another voice, a clear,

loud, vibrating voice, said, "Romans and brothers," and then there was a

prolonged shout of recognition from ten thousand throats.

In a moment a dozen torches were handed up, and the speaker was in a

circle of light and could be seen by all. It was Rossi. He was standing

bareheaded on a stone, with a face of unusual paleness. He was wearing

the loose cloak of the common people of Rome, thrown across his breast

and shoulder. Bruno stood by his left side holding a standard above

their heads. At his right hand were two other men who partly concealed

him from the crowd. Roma found herself immediately below them, and

within two or three paces.

After a moment the shouting died down, and there was no sound in the

vast place but a soft, quick, indrawn hiss that was like the palpitating

breath of an immense flock of sheep. Then Rossi began again.

"First and foremost," he said, "let me call on you to preserve the

peace. One false step to-night and all is lost. Our enemies would like

to fix on us the name of rebels. Rebels against whom? There is no

rebellion except rebellion against the people. The people are the true

sovereigns, and the only rebels are the classes who oppress them."

A murmur of assent broke from the crowd. Rossi paused, and looked around

at the soldiers.

"Romans," he said, "do not let the armed rebels of the State provoke you

to violence. It is to their interest to do so. Defeat them. You have

come here in the face of their rifles and bayonets to show that you are

not afraid of death. But I ask you to be afraid of doing an unrighteous

thing. It is on my responsibility that you are here, and it would be an

undying remorse to me if through any fault of yours one drop of blood

were shed.




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