Peter's prepared the
way for many interviews; and it was before Margaret's departure for
Venice, Milan, and Como, that Ossoli first offered her his hand, and
was refused. Mrs. Story continues:--

"After her return to Rome, they met again, and he became her
constant visitor; and as, in those days, Margaret watched with
intense interest the tide of political events, his mind was
also turned in the direction of liberty and better government.
Whether Ossoli, unassisted, would have been able to emancipate
himself from the influence of his family and early education,
both eminently conservative and narrow, may be a question; but
that he did throw off the shackles, and espouse the cause of
Roman liberty with warm zeal, is most certain. Margaret had
known Mazzini in London, had partaken of his schemes for the
future of his country, and was taking every pains to inform
herself in regard to the action of all parties, with a view
to write a history of the period. Ossoli brought her every
intelligence that might be of interest to her, and busied
himself in learning the views of both parties, that she might
be able to judge the matter impartially.

"Here I may say, that, in the estimation of most of those who
were in Italy at this time, the loss of Margaret's history
and notes is a great and irreparable one. No one could have
possessed so many avenues of direct information from both
sides. While she was the friend and correspondent of Mazzini,
and knew the springs of action of his party; through her
husband's family and connections, she knew the other view; so
that, whatever might be the value of her deductions, her facts
could not have been other than of highest worth. Together,
Margaret and Ossoli went to the meetings of either side; and
to her he carried all the flying reports of the day, such as
he had heard in the cafe, or through his friends.

"In a short time, we went to Naples, and Margaret, in the
course of a few months, to Aquila and Rieti. Meanwhile, we
heard from her often by letter, and wrote to urge her to join
us in our villa at Sorrento. During this summer, she wrote
constantly upon her history of the Italian movement, for which
she had collected materials through the past winter. We did
not again meet, until the following spring, March, 1849, when
we went from Florence