nd passion: "My wife! My wife that is to be!" And then the call of
her aunt from the adjoining chamber, "Roma!"

The sobbing sounds from outside broke in on Roma's nightmare, and when
the chain of memory linked on again it was morning in her vision, and
the Countess was comforting her in a whimpering voice:

"After all, God is merciful, and things that happen to everybody can be
atoned for by prayer and penance. Besides, the Baron is a man of honour,
and the poor maniac cannot last much longer."

The sobbing sounds in the snow, the cries far away, the crackle of the
rifle-shots, the rumble of the thunder broke in again, and the elements
outside seemed to whirl round her in the tempest of her trouble. For a
moment she lifted her head and heard voices in the next room.

The Baron was still there, and from time to time, as he wrote his
despatches, messengers came to take them away, to bring replies, and to
deliver the latest news of the night. The populace had risen in all
parts of the city, and the soldiers had charged them. There had been
several misadventures and many arrests. The large house of detention by
St. Andrea delle Frate was already full, but the people continued to
hold out. They had disconnected the gas at the gasometer and cut the
electric wires, and the city was plunged in darkness.

"Tell the electric light company to turn on the flashlight from Monte
Mario," said the Baron.

And when the voices ceased in the drawing-room there came the deadened
sound of the Countess's frightened treble behind the wall.

"O Holy Virgin, full of grace, save me! It would be a sin to let me die
to-night! Holy Virgin, see! I have given thee two more candles. Art
thou not satisfied? Save me from murder, Mother of God."

Roma saw another phase of her vision. It was filled with a new face,
which made her at once happy and unhappy, proud and ashamed. Hitherto
the only condition on which she had been able to live with the secret of
her life was that she should think nothing about it. Now she was
compelled to think, and she was asking herself if it was her duty to
confess.

Before she married David Rossi she must tell him everything. She saw
herself trying to do so. He was looking vacantly before him with the
deep furrow that came to his forehead when he was strongly moved. She
had sobbed out her story, telling all, excusing nothing, and now she was
waiting for him to speak. He would take her side, he would tell her she
h