The old friar put his hands into the vertical pockets in the breast of

his habit, and looked up at the ceiling as he went on speaking.

"All this is no secret, but what follows is less known. The soldier, who

had the charm of an engaging personality, led the life of an ordinary

young Roman of his day, frequenting cafés, concerts, theatres, and

balls. In this character he met a poor woman of the people, and came to

love her. She was a good girl, with soft and gentle manners, but a heart

of gold and a soul of fire. He was a good man and he meant to marry her.

He did marry her. He married her according to the rites of the Church,

which are all that religion requires and God calls for."

Roma was leaning forward on her seat and breathing between

tightly-closed lips.

"Unhappily, then as now, a godless legislature had separated a religious

from a civil marriage, and the one without the other was useless. The

old Baron heard of what had happened and tried to defeat it. A cardinal

had just been created in Australia, and an officer of the Noble Guard

had to be sent with the Ablegate to carry the biglietto and the

skull-cap. At the request of the Baron his son was appointed to that

mission and despatched in haste."

Roma could scarcely control herself.

"The young husband being gone, the father set himself to deal with the

wife. He had not yet relinquished his hopes of seeing his son a

churchman, and marriage was a fatal impediment. A rich man may have many

instruments, and the Baron was able to use some that were evil. He

played upon the conscience of the girl, who was pure and virtuous; told

her she was not legally married, and that the laws of her country

thought ill of her. Finally, he appealed to her love for her husband,

and showed her that she was standing in his way. He was not a bad man,

but he loved his son beyond truth and to the perversion of honour, and

was ready to sacrifice the woman who stood between them. She allowed

herself to be sacrificed. She wiped herself out that she might not be an

obstacle to her husband. She drowned herself in the Tiber."

Roma could not control herself any longer, and made a half-stifled

exclamation.

"Then the young husband returned. He had been travelling constantly, and

no letters from his wife had reached him. But one letter was waiting for

him at Rome, and it told him what she had done. It was then all over;

there was no help for it, and he was overwhelmed with horror. He could

not blame the poor dead girl, for all she had done had been done in

love; he could not blame himself, for he had meant no wrong in making

the religious marriage, and had hastened home to complete the civil one;

and he could not reproach his father, for if the Baron's conduct had led

to fearful consequences, it had been prompted by affection for himself.

But the hand of God seemed to be over him, and his soul was shaken to

its foundations. From that time forward he renounced society and all

worldly pleasures. For eight days he went into retreat and prayed

fervently. On the ninth day he joined a religious house, the Novitiate

of the Capuchins at San Lorenzo. The young soldier, so gay, so handsome,

so fond of social admiration, became a friar."




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