d
peril his very life!" The sudden energy of passion in which he delivered
these words appeared to have escaped him unawares; for, as quickly
recovering his wonted smoothness of tone, he said, "Not that anything
short of the last necessity would drive me to such an alternative."

"May I never have to trust to your tender mercies, Abbe!" said Norwood,
with a laugh, in which there was far more of earnest than of jesting;
"but let us talk of these things after supper." And with the careless
ease of a mere idler, he lounged into the house, followed by the others.

Once seated at supper, the conversation took a general turn, requiring
all the Abbe's skill and Jekyl's tact at times to cover from the
servants who waited the secret meaning of many of those allusions to
politics and party which Lady Hester uttered, in the perfect conviction
that she was talking in riddles. Her indiscretion rendered her, indeed,
a most perilous associate; and in spite of hints, warnings, and signs,
she would rattle on upon the dangerous theme of revolt and insurrection;
the poor devices of deception she employed being but sorry blinds to the
native quickness of Italian shrewdness.

This little fire of cross-purposes sadly perplexed the canonico, who
looked up now and then from his plate with a face of stupid astonishment
at all that went forward.

"You have heard, I suppose, canon," said the Abbe, adroitly addressing
him, "that the city authorities have only granted twelve thousand crowns
for the festival of San Giovanni?"

"Twelve thousand crowns! It will not pay for the throne of the Virgin,"
growled out the canon, "not to speak of the twenty-six angels in
sprigged muslin!"

"There are to be no angels this time. The priests of the Santa Croce are
to walk behind the canopy."

"It will ruin the procession," muttered the canon.

"They certainly look as little like angels as need be," interposed
Jekyl, slyly.

"Sixty lamps and two hundred tapers are a scant allowance," continued
D'Esmonde.

"Darkness,--positive darkness!" ejaculated the canon; "ubi evasit pietas
nostra?--what has become of our ancient faith?"

"The soldier, your reverence, wishes to see you immediately," said a
servant, entering in haste; "he fears that he is sinking fast."

"The heavy dews of the morning are falling--can he not wait till the sun
rises, Giuseppe?"

"You had better see him at once, canon," whispered the Abbe.

"Oime! oime!" sighed the priest, "mine