she had expected to be a malefactor.

"Poor child!" said the Pope. "But who knows the hidden designs of
Providence, whether manifest in the path of His justice or His mercy?"

Next day, when the Noble Guard returned to the Vatican, he could
scarcely speak to tell his story. The trial had ended and the prisoner
was condemned. Reluctantly the judge had sentenced her to life-long
imprisonment. She had preserved the same lofty demeanour to the last,
thanked her advocate, and even the judge and jury, and said they had
taken the only true view of her act. Her great violet eyes were
extraordinarily dilated and dark, and her face was transparent as
alabaster.

"You have done right to condemn me," she said, "but God, who sees all,
will weigh my conduct in the scale of His holy justice." The entire
court was in tears.

When the time came to remove the lady the crowd ran out to see the last
of her. There was a van and a company of Carabineers, but the emotion of
the people mastered them and they tried to rescue the prisoner. This was
near the Castle of St. Angelo, and the gates being open, the military
rushed her into the fortress for safety. She was there now.

The Pope sent his Noble Guard to the Castle of St. Angelo to inquire
after the prisoner, and the young soldier brought back a pitiful tale.
Donna Roma was ill and could not be removed at present. Her nervous
system was completely exhausted and nobody could say what might not
occur. Nevertheless, she was very brave, very sweet and very cheerful,
and everybody was in love with her. The Castle was occupied by a brigade
of Military Engineers, and the Major in command was a good Catholic and
a faithful son of the Holy Father. He had lodged his prisoner in the
bright apartments that used to be the Pope's, although the prison for
persons committed by the Penal Tribunals was a dark cell in the middle
of the Maschio. She had expressed a desire to be received into the
Church, and had asked the Major to send for Father Pifferi.

"Go back and tell the Major that I will go instead," said the Pope.

"Holy Father!"

"Ask him if the secret passage between the Vatican and the Castle of St.
Angelo can still be opened up."

Count de Raymond returned to say that the Major would open it. In the
present political crisis no one could tell what a day would bring forth,
and in any case he would take the consequences.

The Noble Guard held four unopened letters in his hand. They were
a