Don Orsino

anything else. A compact herd of fifty or sixty thousand lions would be an appalling vision, beside which a like multitude of human beings would sink into insignificance. A drove o

pace as to be equal to a vast throng of men and women, and we conclude naturally enoug

dged she could easily escape at the end of the ceremony, they remained standing in the narrow, winding passage between improvised barriers which led from the tribune to the door of the sacristy, and which had been so arranged as to prevent confusion. Here they waited, greeting their acquaintan

he unceasing sound that went up from the compact mass of living beings was soft in quality, but enormous in volume and sustained in tone, a great whispering which, might have been heard a mile

ntral point of the vitalities around it. But he could not understand that. It seemed to him like a great opportunity brought "within reach but slipping by untaken, not to return again. He felt a strange, almost uncontrollable longing to

ses you?"

exclaimed after a pause. "What would happen, if at the ri

Sant' Ilario gravely. "A c

foolish after all. One m

a gesture expressi

itten parts, but improvise their speeches and actions as best they ca

rises," sugg

re always disagreeable, my

mp any expression of enthusiasm. Of late he had encountered this chilling indifference

tion to it. He remembered that he himself had been different, and had been wont to argue hotly and not unfrequently to quarrel with his father about trifles. He himself had been headstrong, passionate, often intractable in his early youth, and his father had been no better at sixty and was little improved in that respect even at h

ontact with a new generation had given him something unfamiliar to the old, an affe

years in his own way, rich, respected and supremely happy, and he believed that his way was good enough for Orsino. He had, in his youth, tried most things for himself, and had found them failures so far as happiness was concerned. Orsino might make the series of experiments in his turn if he pleas

anni's mother's fortune, there was Corona's fortune, and there was the great Saracinesca

ldness, quietly, if foolishly, resolving to astonish those who misunderstood him by seizing the first opportunity of doing something out of the common way. For some time he stood in silence watchin

Ferice!" exclaimed Sa

cept by sight," observ

weight than was her natural restless vivacity. She had got what she desired and she swept proudly along to take her old place among the ladies of Rome. No one knew whose card she had de

very slight inclination of the head, just enough to compel Sant' Ilario to return the salutation. It was very well done. Orsino did not know all the details of the past events,

he reflected. "It must have been about some other w

as following Donna Tullia at a distance of a dozen yards. Orsino came forward and his ne

kind of you

, Mad

he. I should have had no

not told him what he meant to do. But there was no time to be lost in conversa

id quickly. "You

home," she answered in a l

d was somewhat surprised to see him conducting a lady whom she did not know. A glance told her that the lady was a foreigner; as such, if she were present at all, she should have

ired Sant' Ilario

he tiger's skin-Aranju

as not flattering. She is h

sked Orsino with a visible

d yellow eyes, red hair and a

t the effect seems

You might have

bring about the acquaintance, but he had only met Maria Consuelo once, though that interview had been a lon

ing, and she guessed from a certain resemblance that the dark, middle-aged man might be young Saracinesca's father. Donna Tullia had seen Corona well enough, but as they had not sp

ion was to make its appearance, and Donna. Tullia looked about for something upon which to open the conversation, glancing from time to time at her neighbour. It was easy to see that the place and the surroundings were equally unfamiliar to the newcomer, who looked with evident interes

a Tullia in Trench, very softly, and

ered Maria Consuelo, "es

en," observed Donna Tulli

ace and for the first time realis

riefly, and as though not wish

lia, "though on seeing you in

d through the kin

ia concluded that the friend must have been Orsi

Maria Consuelo. "She could not come. I am he

f in speculation, but fa

ble moment for your first visit

eve I have seen everything worth se

e wife of a diplomatist, though. Those people see eve

ting the Romans in their glory. Colonna and Orsini marching side by side

ia Consuelo, turning her ta

o-grandfather of that young fel

Yes, I know h

he two ladies turned towards each other in conversation she heard

st estimable man-just a little too estim

. It was a habit of which even the irreproachable De

m a boy," observed Mari

rarely showed. But Corona began to understand that the conversation was meant for her ears, and grew angry by degrees

aragingly," said Maria Consuelo

itively thrown away in his present surroundings. Of what use is all this English educ

t to me, I might, perha

d, perhaps, to make you see it quite as it is. Perhaps I am a little too liberal, and the Saracinesca are

scape from the difficulty int

he was to be pitied,"

e. "They are all to be pitied, you know. What is to become of young men brought up in that w

ads that sort of life?" inquire

s heavy shoulders m

is there fo

id he not do likew

rent-before he married-full o

ce his m

a accompanied the statement was intended to be fine, but was only spiteful.

wondering who the strange lady might be to whom Donna Tullia was so freely expressing her opinions concerning the S

estimable," said Donna Tullia's companion,

e countess. It Was tolerably evide

n place of that endless tiger I invented the other day. I wonder whether this woman expects me to tell her who I am? That will amount to an acquaintance. She is certainly somebody, or she

eur Gouache?" she

wn him a long time. Is he pe

that purpose that I am in

ainted me some time ago. I was not ve

not putting enough soul into the picture he had

ill succeed very well with me. Besides, I am grateful to him. He an

ur while to come all the way to Rome to be painted by Gouache,"

wives of diplomatists do not allow themselves

ed Maria Consuelo. "An

hat for an artist he is a little too much occupied in being a

had been reported to her as Spicca's, and Spicca ha

impression," said Ma

to hate everybody. That either means that she

better than I do," she added

had begun the hymn "Tu es Petrus," as the procession began to defile from the south aisle into the nave, close by the great door, to traverse the whole distance thence

lder, breathless with expectation, each man and woman feeling for a few short moments that thrill of mysterious anxiety and impatience which Orsino had felt. No one who was there can ever forget what followed. More than forty cardinals filed out in front from the Chapel of the Pietà. Then the hereditary assistants of the Holy See, the heads of the Colon

ut went up such as has never been heard before in t

è! Long life to

h a throng-in the twinkling of an eye, the dark crowd was as white as snow. In ev

es of the singers as long-drawn thunder drowns the p

labaster, smiled and slowly turned from side to side as it passed

his side, a head shorter than he, stood his father, lost in thought as he gazed at the mighty spe

re armed, and there were at the very least computation thirty thousand strong, grown men in the crowd. And the crowd was on fire. Had there been a hundred, nay a score, of desperate, devoted leaders there, who knows what bloody work might not have been done in the city before the sun went down? Who knows what new sur

reat deeds are over. Let us eat and drink, for to-morro

half a lifetime in a good or evil channel, being recalled and repeated for a score of years. Who is it that does not remember that day when an impatient "I will," or a defiant "I will not," turned the whole current of his existence in the one direction or the o

dome, the incense rose in columns through the streaming sunlight as the high mass proceeded. Again the Pope was raised upon the chair and borne out into the nave, whence in the solemn silence the thin, clear, aged v

first impression was gone, and

he said to his father,

you no stronger ex

ed Orsino, "

through the crowd. Naturally enough, Maria Consuelo and Donna Tullia came out together very soon after her. Orsin

Don Orsino," said she

ice-I have not been back from England long, and

almly looked at Donna Tullia as though to inquire what in the world she wished to accomplish in making his acquain

aid Maria Consuelo. "We ha

was very much surprised and not by any means pleased, for he saw that the elder woman h

said rather stiffly to Donna Tullia, "permit me to m

nce began to wonder how it was that a person with such a name should have but a pl

anjuez and I have been talking all the morning, quit

as though, expecting him to make

onventions!" she said, for t

lding, on their way to the Piazza Santa, Marta. Sant' Ilario and Corona w

claimed in great surprise. "And he has given his arm t

indifferently. "By the bye, the other lady

on of your mother'

may have married some young

hom Orsino knows," said Co

up, dear. You mus

h a little sigh. "But surely you will not

ement to drive him to that," said Sant' I

very one was talking at once. Donna Tullia nodded here and there, but Maria Consuelo noticed that her salutations were cold

woman?" asked Maria Con

Orsino. "My father

y carriage! Pl

ce. Orsino hoped that Madame d'Aranjuez w

Tullia. "Good-bye, I shall be so glad if you

ria Consuelo. "There is just room-i

epted, to Orsino's great annoyance. He helped

Consuelo, giving him her

he look that accompanied the invit

thought Maria Consue

Orsino to himself as he passed in front of the ne

tep, when some one touched his arm. It was Spicca,

a cab?" he asked. "Th

hey had accomplished the feat. Spicca seemed nervo

latter when they were under the colonnade. He f

ell for a republic, or a restoration, or a monarchy, or whichever of the other seven plagues of

ve happened, if I, or s

dred spirits. After all, that would have been better tha

o lau

good eyes,

ng odd if you look where you were looking this morni

ce. I have found

t is hell. Do you mi

his companion, and then ha