he Cardinal waited with tolerable
resignation the time when he might claim from the Signora Cesarini the
reward to which he deemed himself entitled. Meanwhile he had held his
first conversations with Rienzi, and, under the semblance of courtesy to
the acquitted Tribune, Albornoz had received him as his guest, in order
to make himself master of the character and disposition of one in whom
he sought a minister and a tool. That miraculous and magic art, attested
by the historians of the time, which Rienzi possessed over every one
with whom he came into contact, however various in temper, station, or
opinions, had not deserted him in his interview with the Pontiff. So
faithfully had he described the true condition of Rome, so logically
had he traced the causes and the remedies of the evils she endured, so
sanguinely had he spoken of his own capacities for administering her
affairs, and so brilliantly had he painted the prospects which that
administration opened to the weal of the Church, and the interests
of the Pope, that Innocent, though a keen and shrewd, and somewhat
sceptical calculator of human chances, was entirely fascinated by the
eloquence of the Roman.

"Is this the man," he is reported to have said, "whom for twelve months
we have treated as a prisoner and a criminal? Would that it were on his
shoulders only that the Christian empire reposed!"

At the close of the interview he had, with every mark of favour and
distinction, conferred upon Rienzi the rank of Senator, which, in
fact, was that of Viceroy of Rome, and had willingly acceded to all the
projects which the enterprising Rienzi had once more formed--not only
for recovering the territories of the Church, but for extending the
dictatorial sway of the Seven-hilled City, over the old dependencies of
Italy.

Albornoz, to whom the Pope retailed this conversation, was somewhat
jealous of the favour the new Senator had so suddenly acquired, and
immediately on his return home sought an interview with his guest. In
his heart, the Lord Cardinal, emphatically a man of action and business,
regarded Rienzi as one rather cunning than wise--rather fortunate than
great--a mixture of the pedant and the demagogue. But after a long and
scrutinizing conversation with the new Senator, even he yielded to
the spell of his enchanting and master intellect. Reluctantly Albornoz
confessed to himself that Rienzi's rise was not the thing of chance;
yet more reluctantly he perceived