ng as
it is, the committee will very much regret that they can't take the
responsibility of printing it. If I cut out the political truth and
make all the hard names apply to no one but the party's enemies, the
committee will praise the thing up to the skies, and you and I will know
it's not worth printing. Rather a nice point of metaphysics: Which is
the more desirable condition, to be printed and not be worth it, or to
be worth it and not be printed? Well, signora?"

"I do not think you are tied to any such alternative. I believe that
if you were to cut out the personalities the committee would consent to
print the pamphlet, though the majority would, of course, not agree with
it; and I am convinced that it would be very useful. But you would
have to lay aside the spitefulness. If you are going to say a thing the
substance of which is a big pill for your readers to swallow, there is
no use in frightening them at the beginning by the form."

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders resignedly. "I submit, signora; but
on one condition. If you rob me of my laugh now, I must have it out
next time. When His Eminence, the irreproachable Cardinal, turns up
in Florence, neither you nor your committee must object to my being as
spiteful as I like. It's my due!"

He spoke in his lightest, coldest manner, pulling the chrysanthemums
out of their vase and holding them up to watch the light through the
translucent petals. "What an unsteady hand he has," she thought, seeing
how the flowers shook and quivered. "Surely he doesn't drink!"

"You had better discuss the matter with the other members of the
committee," she said, rising. "I cannot form any opinion as to what they
will think about it."

"And you?" He had risen too, and was leaning against the table, pressing
the flowers to his face.

She hesitated. The question distressed her, bringing up old and
miserable associations. "I--hardly know," she said at last. "Many years
ago I used to know something about Monsignor Montanelli. He was only
a canon at that time, and Director of the theological seminary in
the province where I lived as a girl. I heard a great deal about him
from--someone who knew him very intimately; and I never heard anything
of him that was not good. I believe that, in those days at least, he
was really a most remarkable man. But that was long ago, and he may have
changed. Irresponsible power corrupts so many people."

The Gadfly raised his head from the flow