The Garibaldian had come upstairs smiling and winking, and holding out a

letter. "From Trinità de' Monti," he whispered. Flushing crimson and

trembling visibly, Roma took the letter out of the old man's hands with

as much apprehension as if he had tried to deal her a blow, and went off

to her room.

"What do I say, Francesca? I say it's a good thing to be a Christian in

these days, and that's why I always carry a sharp knife and a rosary."

XVI

The letter bore the Berlin postmark.

"MY DEAR WIFE,--I left Paris rather unexpectedly three days ago

and arrived here on Tuesday. The reason of this sudden flight was

the announcement in the Paris papers of the festivities intended

in Rome in honour of the King's accession. Such a shameless

outrage on the people's sufferings in the hour of their greatest

need seemed to call for immediate and effectual protest, and it

was thought wise to push on the work of organisation with every

possible despatch...."

"There is a train north at 9.30," thought Roma. "I must leave to-night,

not in the morning."

"Oh, Roma, Roma, my dear Roma, I understand your father now, and

can sympathise with him at last. He held that even regicide might

become a necessary weapon in the warfare of humanity, and though I

knew that some of the greatest spirits had recourse to it, I

always thought this belief the defect of your father's quality as

a prophet and the limit of his vision. But now I see that the only

difference between us was that his heart was bigger than mine, and

that in those cruel crises where the people are helpless and can

do nothing by constitutional means, revolution, not evolution,

may seem to be their only hope...."

Roma felt hysterical. There could no longer be any doubt of Rossi's

intention.

"I don't tell you anything definite about our plans, dearest,

partly because of the danger of this letter going astray, and

partly because I don't think it right to saddle my wife with the

responsibility of knowing a programme that is weighted with issues

of such immense importance to so many. I know there is not a drop

of blood in her veins that isn't ready to flow for me, but that is

no reason for exposing her to the danger of even the prick of her

little finger.

"Briefly our cry is 'Unite! Unite! Unite!' As soon as our scheme

is complete, and associates all over Europe receive the word to

commence concerted movement, the tyrants at the heads of the

States will find the old edifices riddled and honeycombed, and

ready to fall."




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