descended to gather them from the tree
itself. You were good enough to tell me that there wasn't another tree in
the world that produced such fine figs."

The Cardinal could not help smiling. He was indeed very fond of figs, and
Santobono spoke truly: his fig-tree was renowned throughout the district.
"Thank you, my dear Abbe," said Boccanera, "you remember my little
failings. Well, and what can I do for you?"

Again he became grave, for, in former times, there had been unpleasant
discussions between him and the curate, a lack of agreement which had
angered him. Born at Nemi, in the core of a fierce district, Santobono
belonged to a violent family, and his eldest brother had died of a stab.
He himself had always professed ardently patriotic opinions. It was said
that he had all but taken up arms for Garibaldi; and, on the day when the
Italians had entered Rome, force had been needed to prevent him from
raising the flag of Italian unity above his roof. His passionate dream
was to behold Rome mistress of the world, when the Pope and the King
should have embraced and made cause together. Thus the Cardinal looked on
him as a dangerous revolutionary, a renegade who imperilled Catholicism.

"Oh! what your Eminence can do for me, what your Eminence can do if only
condescending and willing!" repeated Santobono in an ardent voice,
clasping his big knotty hands. And then, breaking off, he inquired, "Did
not his Eminence Cardinal Sanguinetti explain my affair to your most
reverend Eminence?"

"No, the Cardinal simply advised me of your visit, saying that you had
something to ask of me."

Whilst speaking Boccanera's face had clouded over, and it was with
increased sternness of manner that he again waited. He was aware that the
priest had become Sanguinetti's "client" since the latter had been in the
habit of spending weeks together at his suburban see of Frascati. Walking
in the shadow of every cardinal who is a candidate to the papacy, there
are familiars of low degree who stake the ambition of their life on the
possibility of that cardinal's election. If he becomes Pope some day, if
they themselves help him to the throne, they enter the great pontifical
family in his train. It was related that Sanguinetti had once already
extricated Santobono from a nasty difficulty: the priest having one day
caught a marauding urchin in the act of climbing his wall, had beaten the
little fellow with such severity that he had ultimately died