ctfully to advise Your Eminence not to attempt it.
The man is perfectly incorrigible. It would be both safer and wiser to
overstep the letter of the law for this once, and get rid of him before
he does any more mischief. It is with great diffidence that I venture
to press the point after what Your Eminence has said; but after all I am
responsible to Monsignor the Legate for the order of the town------"

"And I," Montanelli interrupted, "am responsible to God and His Holiness
that there shall be no underhand dealing in my diocese. Since you
press me in the matter, colonel, I take my stand upon my privilege
as Cardinal. I will not allow a secret court-martial in this town
in peace-time. I will receive the prisoner here, and alone, at ten
to-morrow morning."

"As Your Eminence pleases," the Governor replied with sulky
respectfulness; and went away, grumbling to himself: "They're about a
pair, as far as obstinacy goes."

He told no one of the approaching interview till it was actually time to
knock off the prisoner's chains and start for the palace. It was quite
enough, as he remarked to his wounded nephew, to have this Most Eminent
son of Balaam's ass laying down the law, without running any risk of the
soldiers plotting with Rivarez and his friends to effect an escape on
the way.

When the Gadfly, strongly guarded, entered the room where Montanelli was
writing at a table covered with papers, a sudden recollection came
over him, of a hot midsummer afternoon when he had sat turning over
manuscript sermons in a study much like this. The shutters had been
closed, as they were here, to keep out the heat, and a fruitseller's
voice outside had called: "Fragola! Fragola!"

He shook the hair angrily back from his eyes and set his mouth in a
smile.

Montanelli looked up from his papers.

"You can wait in the hall," he said to the guards.

"May it please Your Eminence," began the sergeant, in a lowered voice
and with evident nervousness, "the colonel thinks that this prisoner is
dangerous and that it would be better------"

A sudden flash came into Montanelli's eyes.

"You can wait in the hall," he repeated quietly; and the sergeant,
saluting and stammering excuses with a frightened face, left the room
with his men.

"Sit down, please," said the Cardinal, when the door was shut. The
Gadfly obeyed in silence.

"Signor Rivarez," Montanelli began after a pause, "I wish to ask you a
few questions, and shall be very much