anceschini castle at Arezzo, and there lived wretchedly,
in every sense, for a while; but soon fled back to Rome, leaving the
girl-wife behind to aggravated woes. About three years afterwards she
also fled, intending to rejoin the Comparini at Rome. She was about to
become a mother. The organiser and companion of her flight was a young
priest, Giuseppe Caponsacchi, who was a canon at Arezzo. Guido followed
them, caught them at Castelnuovo, a village on the outskirts of Rome,
and caused both to be arrested. They were confined in the "New Prisons"
at Rome, and tried for adultery. The result was a compromise--they were
pronounced guilty, but a merely nominal punishment ("the jocular piece
of punishment," as the young priest called it) was inflicted on each.
Pompilia was relegated for a time to a convent; Caponsacchi was
banished for three years to Civita Vecchia. As the time for Pompilia's
confinement drew near, she was permitted to go to her reputed parents'
home, which was a villa just outside the walls of the city. A few months
after her removal there, she became the mother of a son, whom the old
people quickly removed to a place of concealment and safety. A fortnight
later--on the second day of the New Year--Count Guido, with four hired
assassins, came to the villa, and all three occupants were killed:
Pietro and Violante Comparini, and Pompilia his wife. For these murders,
Guido and his hirelings were hanged at Rome on February 22, 1698.

But now we must return upon our steps, if we would know "the truth of
this."

When the old Comparini reached Rome, after their flight from Arezzo, the
Pope had just proclaimed jubilee in honour of his eightieth year, and
absolution for any sin was to be had for the asking--atonement, however,
necessarily preceding. Violante, remorseful for the sacrifice of their
darling, and regarding the woe as retribution for her original lie about
the birth, resolved to confess; but since absolution was granted only if
atonement preceded it, she must be ready to restore to the rightful heir
that which her pretended motherhood had taken from him. She therefore
confessed to Pietro first, and he instantly seized the occasion for
revenge on Guido, though that was not (or at any rate, according to the
Other Half-Rome, may not have been) his only motive.

"What? All that used to be, may be again?

* * * * *

What, the girl's dowry never was the girl's,