The conquest of Rome

was, as it were, in a state of fumigation, sundry heads were turned, and his name was whispered in well-bred undertones by the din

elli, a Colonel of carabineers, with a peaked, grizzly beard and merry eyes, scrutinized him with interest. The other two, ex-deputie

gio, about the duel?' aske

d the other, looking

first

fi

er taken fen

f

ldofredi is a re

ulky Paulo, having just administered 'donkey' to

Sangiorgio with Oldofr

d, is Oldofredi; you had better take that

of it, but I wi

quired the gigantic Paulo, the colossus,

a; I am waiting for them to dine with

t given to mediation, will attempt n

dable, Sangiorgio?'

void

ought with him some years ago, and he cut

tall, lean person, from his long, black, whitening beard, from the half-inborn, half-literary composure of a nobleman and a writer. Rosolino Scalia comported himself like an officer in plain

angiorgio, 'wha

lied Scalia with rese

r of the three men was marked by complete silence. Castelforte wa

lping himself to wine. 'We are to meet them at half-

es

nothing is worse, in a duel, than blunt swords. The duel becomes too

em ground by S

. One thing I advise you, Sangiorgio: think of nothing, and worry about nothing, but at the first onset rush in; do n

, the conditions will be of a most serious kind. But you are not in jest, Sangiorgio

joking,' observed Sangio

ter. Have yo

N

-Alberti,' said Scalia. 'I wi

'Caffè di Roma,' came into the place, looking about fo

ent for me at the Roma café, wher

e. 'But stand your ground; do not

a house, an inn, a farm-any sort of shelter. Since I once had to bring back poor Goffredi, wounded in the lungs, and gasping and spitting blood at every jolt

er to have it in a hou

Scalia. 'It is unlucky in a house

curiosity from the other tables, but the three faces betrayed nothing. Then followed a great profusion of vigorous handshakes

! Ram it down the wol

and, Honourable Sangio

you believe in the ev

enormous Paula, with sudden famili

o, and I tell you wh

he issue. He left two minutes later. At the door he me

et,' was h

house to-morrow for information?' persisted

50,' said the o

childish mien, of high-pitched, reedy voice. The Speaker had the worn-out appearance of an individual r

siness be mended, ho

a nervous little ges

nk not

ome misunderstanding? A duel between two deputies is

nderstanding, I as

and some joke was taken the wrong way. One ought to be careful on these occasio

any case, ther

hat you, Sangiorgio, brought abou

outhern deputy's face, but read in it only indifference, imp

ixed upon the condi

eet them at eleven.

orters; a Parliamentary duel is a godsend

r's frigid speech and the Honourable Freitag

of deputies, journalists, and idlers without a home of their own, who, having no family, spent their evenings in those hot, smoke-laden places. An intense disgust was growing up in him for the people who came and asked questions, and wanted to know, and offered comments, and were for ever

ace up and down opposite the Parliament. The great windows of the offices were all alight; the clerks were still at work. But the square, the large square without shops, was deserted. He walked back and forth, round the obelisk from

e deputies who had passed the evening in the Chamber, and when anyone showed himself in the doorway Sangiorgio stopped, or else turned away fretting with vexation. At length Scalia and Castelforte came out upon the steps; the

eople, and they all want to know about it, and I have no des

y. That poser of an Oldofredi was declaiming the whole evening at the Colonne; he is at the theatre no

ested Castelforte, 'because one can get there so quickly. We have f

the direction of Sangiorgio'

vous, eh?' a

n the

et some sleep. Have y

N

l. I shall bring some on the ground to-m

it! I sh

,' resumed Castelforte. 'That

ctly

will be of great value. Do not trouble about a carriage; we shall bring a l

gio, that you have

asilicata are ve

seem so,' laug

Their three shadows were cast conspicuously on the empty street: Castelforte's,

*

air was mingled with the bad kitchen smells which came up from the inner courtyard. Alone at l

circumstance had, up till then, been able to obscure, all the pettiness, the love of compromise, the coldness, the indifference, the stinted zeal of the people he had met with, now stood before him, arrayed, classified, definite. First, the difficulty of finding seconds against Oldofredi, who had a reputation for swordsmanship; then, the very limited enthus

He was aware that his audacious exploit of venturing to measure swords-he, the young, inexperienced novice-with a fire-eater whom no one any longer dared insult, and who was an old deputy, was bringing down upon him ridicule, pity, and disdain. In that hour he had the whole of public opinion against him, and felt overwhelmed by the injustice of hum

yally ready-to parry mortal strokes, to pierce, to cut, to kill; one in his hand, the other in his enemy's; blade against blade; edge against edge-those faithful swords! The word of man by its unkindness congeals the blood,

by his side; his gaze was raptly fixed upon them. For others the night preceding a duel is a night of agitation, of nervousness, of walking the floor; others all have a woman to be reassured by airiness, a relative to whom a letter must be written, a friend entitled to a note, a servant to be charged with an important errand; others are not afraid, perhaps, but they all feel a little troubled, a trifle thoughtful, a particle of remorse; all oth

to his profound, intense, burning desire for fame and power. Wounded or dead, no tears of woman, no love of friend, no affectionate regrets, would be his portion; but he, Sangiorgio, would be the sole mourner of his own lost hopes of renown, his own dreams of ambition wrecked in the physical and moral shame of the disaster. The swordthrust which to-morrow pierced his flesh, cut through his muscles, sundered his veins, would find its way to his heart, that hard, fast-closed heart, where only one passion lived, and

ttoned and his lustrous, tall silk hat on a table, was rather pale, but quite composed; only by a

sabres?' inquir

er

is finger along their edges, bent them backwards and forwards with the points st

a silk handkerchief,

bag, about which he wound the neckcloth, took up the gaun

ll w

let

en they all three jumped quickly into the carriage. They drove through the Via Due Macelli, where the florist was displaying a large show of

ing,' said

id Castelforte. 'A duel in

eginning of the Via Vittoria was all topsy-turvy, since the drain-pipes were being mended. By the time they had r

' said Scalia. 'The

e Re. Under his arm he had a case of instruments and some lint. He took a seat opposite Sangiorgi

e Flaminian Way, the first Ponte Molle tram left the station,

street leading to the Villa Glori. Under the Arco Oscuro the count

window-tassels in his hand, and closed his fingers upon it with more and more vigour. Under his eyes a streak of warm red appeared, which began to spread irregularly downward. But, as his fervour grew, all desire to show it outwardly diminished; he was slowly shutting himself up with himself, in a sort of romantic, idolatrous self-communion, and to the remarks of the doctor and his seconds he vouchsafed no other reply than a series of more than usually violent nods. The horses puffed hard on the inclining road; at last, at the Villa Glori, the

ctor,' said he. 'The exact spot is

Sangiorgio stayed i

The great plain stretched along the river, green, treeless, and without a human creature. Far away, in the direction of the Villa Ada, a long

as such a mournful and desolate wilderness that the shapes of the two well-dressed men moving among the blooming chicory created a curious dissonance in the scene. The Tiber, swollen and livid, was tossin

ar again. Castelforte l

le soft, but not slippery. We must wait t

, whose senses had become excessi

e turned into the plain at a fast gallop, and drew up at a short distance from the hut, i

at on, smoking and playfully tapping the croup of one of the horses with his thin bamboo cane. Sangiorgio, his body half out of the door, was casting hesitating glances about. What enraged him was his inexperience, the newness of the thing, and his ignorance

our topcoat and ha

whose breast and temples were throbbing, shivered with expectancy and eagerness, threw aside his hat, tore off topcoat, coat, waistcoat, and necktie, and rus

our coat!

e of the duelling-ground Castelforte and Lapucci were drawing lots for the choice of swords and the privilege

ken a mouthf

N

ought always to f

it,' was Sangiorgi

fight. You are to choose the swords,' said

' answered Lapucci

to Sangiorgio, put a sword into his grasp, tied its handle to his wrist, and accompanied him to his post. The doctors moved off twenty paces. Scalia stayed at

n than usual; certainly his mind was as yet unocc

ain's manner, looked imperiously a

he began in

red at him; Oldofredi spat out the anemone, and with an ar

rfectly chivalrous fashion. I will only remind you that you must immediately stop as soon as you h

, who replied with an

ua

er angle, and planted himself firmly on his legs. Sangiorgio sprang to the attitude of guard with a bou

manded Ca

a thrust, warded it off, and slid down upon the padded glove. But Sangiorgio, raising arm and weapon

stelforte, interpo

ling; he had gauged his foe. Sangiorgio, however, in whose breast raged the fury of a

aid Castel

directed at his adversary's face, glowered at him with

laimed Ca

yes, did not parry. But as he saw the blade, with which a feint had been made at his stomach, flash by his eyes and about to reach his face, h

houted Ca

ned to refasten Oldofre

whispered Castelforte i

e. His teeth closed together. Oldofredi was back at his post, his sword in hand, but this time he was white with

t of Sangiorgio's cut into his nether lip, and rent his whole cheek as far as the temple. The four seconds precipitated themselves on the duellists, and the doctors ran up. Oldofredi was dragge

*

r the Porta del Popolo indistinctly

itches will

en

ays will he

s a violent f

!' interjected Scalia, glee

ed Castelforte, laughing. 'Oldofr

making an appointment to sign the record of the duel

ngry?' Scal

tainly deserves an appe

th smiled c

piece of familiarity as coming from this grand gentleman. They caressed him with their eyes, with the tone of their voices, with flattering words, showing how they valued him and how well they were disposed towards him after the duel. He received this flood of new friendship very quietly; the tension of his nerves was relaxing more and more, giving room to a strong desire for physical life, in which he would not think, but would only eat, digesting the meal in a warm room, and then

*

lass. He ate and drank plentifully, happy in the doing of it, acknowledging by nods the amiable remarks of hi

e genial humo

anxious on your account, my dear Sangiorgio. Your opponent was strong and brave, and had

not!' interject

ocular mood on the grou

osings. At the third attack, let me assure you, my dear colleagues, he was raving; he wen

by God!' chime

h the Honourable Cermigniani at the Colonne, and who was somewhat concerned about his Basilicatan colleague, had come down by way of the Corso to see if he might meet his carriage, and while he was jabbering politics, shouting, excitedly gesticulating, vociferating, quoting figures and demolishing calculations, he espied the group of three at table in the eating-house. So the Honour

e room, with Gambara, the dean of the old Conservative party. Bencini, inquisitive and talkative as a woman, came to offer his congratulations, although he scarcely knew Sangiorgio. But th

ey have sewed it on his face! Fortunately, we are not

in, and Gambara smiled placidly as he looked at Sangiorgio with the eye of an old Parliamentarian fond of studious and brave young d

et was full of deputies, journalists, business men, and reporters, standing about after lunch to enjoy a little sunshine before going to Montecitorio. The Honourable Chialamberto, the short Ligurian deputy, was having a discussion with Colonel Dicenzo, a lean Abruzzan of ascetic appearance; both bowed low to the f

ile with which he greeted Sangiorgio there was something cordial, something affable, a sort of kindly light. The Honourable Freitag, big and stout, with his head sun

face, wa

the

f praise; the pacific deputies listened silently and smiling, thinking of a tournament. A few-the cruellest-wanted to be told more, had the length and depth of Oldofredi's wound described to them, asked if he had bled much, if the wound would heal soon, if the scar would be very plain. But all over the House, by every one, even by the m

clock, inquiries were scarce, and were dictated by cold curiosity. The two seconds felt, in their turn, the isolation of their principal, who lay in bed, with face and head bandaged, in a state of

nfused, but always preserving his external calm, which was now and then varied by a stolid smile, he let them say

at him as the individual who had inflicted the sword-cut on Oldofredi; they spoke in a whisper, but he heard them very well, as he was giving but one ear to the music. After the first act he felt the glow of an ardent gaze upon his face: Donna Ele

did you fight on my accou

e and pride, he saw, in the lobby, the monster Paulo putting on a huge overcoat. Of a sudden, the whole fog of vanity was dispelled, and Sangiorgio felt an impulse to thro