holding a class; and
after they had gone up and come down and taken Caesar's card for Father
Mendia, they told him he was out.

Caesar concluded that it was not so easy to find a crack through which
one could get information of what was going on in the clerical world.

"I see that the Church gives them all a defensive instinct which they
make good use of. They are really only poor devils, but they have a
great organization, and it cannot be easy to get one's fingers through
the meshes of their net."

XII. A MEETING ON THE PINCIO

_A WALK IN THE VILLA BORGHESE_

At the beginning of Holy Week Laura returned to the hotel, at
lunch-time.

"And your husband?" Caesar asked her.

"He didn't want to come. Rome bores him. He is giving all his attention
to taking care of the heart-disease he says he has."

"Is it serious?"

"I think not. Every time I see him I find him with a new disease and a
new diet; one time it is vegetarian, another nothing but meat, another
time he says one should eat only grapes, or nothing but bread."

"Then I see that he belongs to the illustrious brotherhood of the
insane."

"You are not far from joining that brotherhood yourself."

"Dear sister, I am one of the few sane men that go stumbling around this
insane asylum let loose we call the earth."

"What you say about men is the truth, even though you are not an
exception. Really, the more I have to do with men, the more convinced I
am that any one of them who is not crazy, is stupid or vain or proud....
How much more intelligent, discreet, logical we women are!"

"Don't tell me. You are marvels; modest, kindly toward your rivals, so
little given to humiliating your neighbours, male or female...."

"Yes, yes; but we are not so conceited or such play-actors as you are.
A woman may think herself pretty and amiable and sweet, and not be so.
That is true; but on the other hand, every man thinks himself braver
than the Cid, even if he is afraid of a fly, and more talented than
Seneca, even if he is a dolt."

"To sum up, men are a calamity."

"Just so."

"And women spend their lives fishing for these calamities."

"They need them; there are inferior things which still are necessary."

"And there are superior things which are good for nothing."

"Will you come and take a drive with me, philosopher brother?"

"Where?"

"Let's go to the Villa Borghese. The carriage will be here in a moment."

"All right. Let us go there."