, my child. I assure you it is no
marriage at all. In the eye of the civil law it is frankly invalid, and
the Church could annul it at any moment, being no sacrament, because you
are unbaptized and therefore not in her sense a Christian."

He took another step towards her and said:

"But if you have lost one husband another is waiting for you--a more
devoted and more faithful husband--one who can give you everything in
the place of one who can give you nothing.... And then that man has gone
out of your life for good. Whatever happens now, it is impossible that
you and he can ever come together again. But I am here still.... Don't
answer hastily, Roma. Isn't it something that I am ready to face the
opprobrium that will surely come of marrying the most criticised woman
in Rome?"

Roma felt herself to be suffocating with indignation and shame.

"You see I am suing to you, Roma--I who have never sued to any human
being. Even when I was a child I would not sue to my own mother. Since
then I have done something in life--I have justified myself, I have
given my country a place among the nations, I stand for it in the eye of
the world--and yet--"

"And yet I despise you," said Roma.

There was a moment of silence, and then, recovering himself, the Baron
tried to laugh.

"As you will. I must needs accept the only possible interpretation of
your words. I thought my devotion in spite of every provocation might
burn away your bitterness. But if...." (he was getting excited) "if you
have no respect for the past, you may have some regard for the future."

She looked at him with a new fear.

"Naturally, I have no desire to humiliate myself further by suing to a
woman who despises me. It will be sufficient to punish the man who is
responsible for my loss of esteem in the eyes of one who has so many
reasons to respect me."

"You mean that you will persuade the King to break his promise?"

"The King need not be persuaded after he has appointed his Dictator."

"So the King's promise to pardon Mr. Rossi will be set aside by his
successor?"

"If I leave this room without a better answer ... yes."

Roma drew from behind the revolver she had held in her hand.

"Then you will never leave this room," she said.

The Baron stood perfectly still, and there was a moment of deadly
silence.

Then came the rattle of carriage wheels on the stones of the piazza,
followed immediately by a hurried footstep on the stairs.

Roma heard