er's grave--_his mother's grave_--he can dine,
he can laugh, he can go to the theatre! Oh, I hate you! There, I've
told you! Now, do with me as you please!"

The death-like rigidity in the Baron's face decomposed into an expression
of intense pain, but he only passed his hand over his brow, and said,
after a moment of silence:

"My child, you are not only offending me, you are offending the theory
and principle of Justice. Justice has nothing to do with pity. In the
vocabulary of Justice there is but one word--duty. Duty called upon me
to fix this man's name upon him, that his obstructions, his slanders,
and his evil influence might be at an end. And now Justice calls upon
you to do the same."

The Baron leaned against the stove, and spoke in a calm voice, while
Roma in her agitation continued to walk about the room.

"Being a Deputy, and Parliament being in session, David Rossi can only
be arrested by the authorisation of the Chamber. In order to obtain that
authorisation, it is necessary that the Attorney-General should draw up
a statement of the case. The statement must be presented by the
Attorney-General to the Government, by the Government to the President,
by the President to a Committee, and by the Committee to Parliament.
Towards this statement the police have already obtained important
testimony, and a complete chain of circumstantial evidence has been
prepared. But they lack one link of positive proof, and until that link
is obtained the Attorney-General is unable to proceed. It is the
keystone of the arch, the central fact, without which all other facts
fall to pieces--the testimony of somebody who can swear, if need be,
that she knew both David Leone and David Rossi, and can identify the one
with the other."

"Well?"

The Baron, who had stopped, continued in a calm voice: "My dear Roma,
need I go on? Dead as a Minister is to all sensibility, I had hoped to
spare you. There is only one person known to me who can supply that
link. That person is yourself."

Roma's eyes were red with anger and terror, but she tried to laugh over
her fear.

"How simple you are, after all!" she said. "It was Roma Roselli who knew
David Leone, wasn't it? Well, Roma Roselli is dead and buried. Oh, I
know all the story. You did that yourself, and now it cuts the ground
from under you."

"My dear Roma," said the Baron, with a hard and angry face, "if I did
anything in that matter, it was done for your welfare, but whatev