em
assassins and thieves, and also sentiments of revenge expressed by
an _'A mort Dupin!'_ or _'A mort Duval!'_ Moreover, there is a great
enthusiasm for the guillotine."

"And Madrid?"

"Madrid is at heart a rude, moral town with little imagination, and
the epigraphs on the walls and benches are primitive."

"And in Rome what do you find?"

"Here one finds a mixture of pornography, romanticism, and politics.
A heart pierced by an arrow and poetic phrases, alternate with some
enormous piece of filthiness and with hurrahs for Anarchy or for the
_'Papa-re.'_"

"Well done!" said Kennedy; "I can see that the branch of epigraphy you
practise amounts to something. It should be systematized and given a
name."

"What do you think we should name it? Wallography?"

"Very good."

"And one of these fine days we can systematize it. Now we might go and
get dinner."

They took a tram which was coming back from St. Paul's beyond the Walls,
and returned to the heart of the city.

_THE MONK WITH THE RED NOSE_

The next day Caesar was finishing dressing when the servant told him
that a gentleman was waiting for him.

"Who is it?" asked Caesar.

"It's a monk."

Caesar went to the salon and there found a tall monk with an evil face,
a red nose, and a worn habit.

Caesar recalled having seen him, but didn't know where.

"What can I do for you?" asked Caesar.

"I come from His Eminence, Cardinal Fort. I must speak with you."

"Let's go into the dining-room. We shall be alone there."

"It would be better to talk in your room."

"No, there is no one here. Besides, I have to eat breakfast. Will you
join me?"

"No, thanks," said the monk.

Caesar remembered having seen that face in the Altemps palace. He was
doubtless one of the domestic monks who had been with the Abbe Preciozi.

The waiter came bringing Caesar's breakfast. "Will you tell me what it
is?" said Caesar to the ecclesiastic, while he filled his cup.

The monk waited until the waiter was gone, and then said in a hard
voice:

"His Eminence the Cardinal sent me to bid you not to present yourself
anywhere again, giving his name."

"What? What does this mean?" asked Caesar, calmly.

"It means that His Eminence has found out about your intrigues and
machinations."

"Intrigues? What intrigues were those?"

"You know perfectly well. And His Eminence forbids you to continue in
that direction."

"His Eminence forbids me to pay calls? And for what