"Where will you go to?"

"Anywhere--nowhere--I don't know yet."

The Pope looked at the young face, cut deep with lines of despair, and

his heart yearned over it.

"Sit down, my son. Let us think. Though you did not tell me of the

assassination, I soon knew all about it.... Partly in self-defence, you

say?"

"That is so, but I do not urge it as an excuse. And if I did, who else

knows anything about it?"

"Is there nobody who knows?"

"One, perhaps. But it is my wife, and she could have no interest in

saving me now, even if I wished to be saved.... I have read her

letters."

"If I were to tell you it is not so, my son--that your wife is still

ready to sacrifice herself for your safety...."

"But that is impossible, your Holiness. There are so many things you do

not know."

"If I were to tell you that I have just seen her, and, notwithstanding

your want of faith in her, she still has faith in you...."

The deep lines of despair began to pass from Rossi's face, and he made a

cry of joy.

"If I were to say that she loves you, and would give her life for

you...."

"Is it possible? Do you tell me that? In spite of everything? And

she--where is she? Let me go to her. Holy Father, if you only knew! I'll

go and beg her pardon. I cursed her! Yes, it is true that in my blind,

mad passion I.... But let me go back to her on my knees. The rest of my

life spent at her feet will not be enough to wipe out my fault."

"Stay, my son. You shall see her presently."

"Can it be possible that I shall see her? I thought I should never see

her again; but I counted without God. Ah! God is good after all. And

you, Holy Father, you are good too. I will beg her forgiveness, and she

will forgive me. Then we'll fly away somewhere--we'll escape to Africa,

India, anywhere. We'll snatch a few years of happiness, and what more

has anybody a right to expect in this miserable world?"

Exalted in the light of his imaginary future, he seemed to forget

everything else--his crime, his work, his people.

"Is she at home still?"

"She is only a few paces from this place, my son."

"Only a few paces! Oh, let me not lose a moment more. Where is she?"




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