Having written her letter, and put her lips to the enclosure, she

addressed the envelope in a bold hand and with a brave flourish: "All'

Illustrissimo Signor Davide Rossi, Camera dei Deputati."

"You'll post this immediately I am gone, Sister," she said.

Elena pretended to put the letter away for that purpose, but she really

smuggled it down to the Major, who despatched it forthwith to the

Chamber of Deputies.

"And now I'll go to sleep," said Roma.

She slept until mid-day with the sun's reflection from the white plaster

of the groined ceiling of the loggia on her still whiter face. Then the

twelve o'clock gun shook the walls of the Castle, and she awoke while

the church bells were ringing.

"I thought it was my dream coming true, Sister," she said.

The doctor came up at that moment in a high state of excitement.

"Great news, Donna Roma. The King...."

"I know!"

"Failing to form a Government to follow that of the Baron, appealed to

Parliament to nominate a successor...."

"So Parliament...."

"Parliament has nominated the Honourable Rossi, the King has called for

him, the warrant for his arrest has been cancelled, and all persons

imprisoned for the recent insurrection have been set at liberty."

Roma's trembling and exultant eyelids told a touching story.

"Is there anything to see?"

"Only the flag on the Capitol."

"Let me look at it."

He helped her to rise. "Look! There it is on the clock tower."

"I see it.... That will do. You can put me down now, doctor."

An ineffable joy shone in her face.

"It was my dream after all, Elena."

After a moment she said, "Doctor, tell the Prefect I am quite ready to

go to Viterbo. In fact I wish to go. I should like to go immediately."

"I'll tell him," said the doctor, and he went out to hide his emotion.

The Major came to the open arch of the loggia. He stood there for a

moment, and there was somebody behind him. Then the Major disappeared,

but the other remained. It was David Rossi. He was standing like a man

transfixed, looking in speechless dismay at Roma's pallid face with the

light of heaven on it.

Roma did not see Rossi, and Elena, who did, was too frightened to speak.

Lying back in her bed-chair with a great happiness in her eyes, she

said: "Sister, if he should come here when I am gone ... no, I don't mean

that ... but if you should see him and he should ask about me, you will

say that I went away quite cheerfully. Tell him I was always thinking

about him. No, don't say that either. But he must never think I

regretted what I did, or that I died broken-hearted. Say farewell for

me, Elena. Addio Carissima! That's his word, you know. Addio

Carissimo!"




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