or instance--I
think it was Friday, but I got a l-little mixed as to time towards
the end--anyhow, I asked for a d-dose of opium--I remember that quite
distinctly; and he came in here and said I m-might h-h-have it if I
would tell him who un-l-l-locked the gate. I remember his saying: 'If
it's real, you'll consent; if you don't, I shall look upon it as a
p-proof that you are shamming.' It n-n-never oc-c-curred to me before
how comic that is; it's one of the f-f-funniest things----"

He burst into a sudden fit of harsh, discordant laughter; then, turning
sharply on the silent Cardinal, went on, more and more hurriedly, and
stammering so that the words were hardly intelligible:

"You d-d-don't see that it's f-f-funny? Of c-course not; you r-religious
people n-n-never have any s-sense of humour--you t-take everything
t-t-tragically. F-for instance, that night in the Cath-thedral--how
solemn you were! By the way--w-what a path-thetic figure I must
have c-cut as the pilgrim! I d-don't believe you e-even see anything
c-c-comic in the b-business you have c-come about this evening."

Montanelli rose.

"I came to hear what you have to say; but I think you are too much
excited to say it to-night. The doctor had better give you a sedative,
and we will talk to-morrow, when you have had a night's sleep."

"S-sleep? Oh, I shall s-sleep well enough, Your Eminence, when you
g-give your c-consent to the colonel's plan--an ounce of l-lead is a
s-splendid sedative."

"I don't understand you," Montanelli said, turning to him with a
startled look.

The Gadfly burst out laughing again.

"Your Eminence, Your Eminence, t-t-truth is the c-chief of the Christian
virtues! D-d-do you th-th-think I d-d-don't know how hard the Governor
has been trying to g-get your consent to a court-martial? You had
b-better by half g-give it, Your Eminence; it's only w-what all your
b-brother prelates would do in your place. 'Cosi fan tutti;' and then
you would be doing s-such a lot of good, and so l-little harm! Really,
it's n-not worth all the sleepless nights you have been spending over
it!"

"Please stop laughing a minute," Montanelli interrupted, "and tell me
how you heard all this. Who has been talking to you about it?"

"H-hasn't the colonel e-e-ever told you I am a d-d-devil--not a man? No?
He has t-told me so often enough! Well, I am devil enough to f-find
out a little bit what p-people are thinking about. Your E-eminence is
thinking that I'm