."

"Oh, you needn't have any doubt of that!" Riccardo put in. "The history
of the Savigno affair proves that he keeps his head."

"And then," Martini went on; "I do not feel at all inclined, from what
little I know of Rivarez, to intrust him with all the party's secrets.
He seems to me feather-brained and theatrical. To give the whole
management of a party's contraband work into a man's hands is a serious
matter. Fabrizi, what do you think?"

"If I had only such objections as yours, Martini," replied the
professor, "I should certainly waive them in the case of a man really
possessing, as Rivarez undoubtedly does, all the qualifications Riccardo
speaks of. For my part, I have not the slightest doubt as to either his
courage, his honesty, or his presence of mind; and that he knows both
mountains and mountaineers we have had ample proof. But there is another
objection. I do not feel sure that it is only for the smuggling of
pamphlets he goes into the mountains. I have begun to doubt whether he
has not another purpose. This is, of course, entirely between ourselves.
It is a mere suspicion. It seems to me just possible that he is in
connexion with some one of the 'sects,' and perhaps with the most
dangerous of them."

"Which one do you mean--the 'Red Girdles'?"

"No; the 'Occoltellatori.'"

"The 'Knifers'! But that is a little body of outlaws--peasants, most of
them, with neither education nor political experience."

"So were the insurgents of Savigno; but they had a few educated men as
leaders, and this little society may have the same. And remember, it's
pretty well known that most of the members of those more violent sects
in the Romagna are survivors of the Savigno affair, who found themselves
too weak to fight the Churchmen in open insurrection, and so have fallen
back on assassination. Their hands are not strong enough for guns, and
they take to knives instead."

"But what makes you suppose Rivarez to be connected with them?"

"I don't suppose, I merely suspect. In any case, I think we had better
find out for certain before we intrust our smuggling to him. If he
attempted to do both kinds of work at once he would injure our party
most terribly; he would simply destroy its reputation and accomplish
nothing. However, we will talk of that another time. I wanted to speak
to you about the news from Rome. It is said that a commission is to be
appointed to draw up a project for a municipal constitution."

CHA