sing, "your own intention may have
anticipated what I was going to say. You are thinking of the Frate."

"I am," said Romola, looking at him with surprise. "Has he done
anything? Is there anything to tell me?"

"Only this. It was Messer Francesco Valori's bitterness and violence
which chiefly determined the course of things in the council to-day.
Half the men who gave in their opinion against the prisoners were
frightened into it, and there are numerous friends of Fra Girolamo both
in this Special Council and out of it who are strongly opposed to the
sentence of death--Piero Guicciardini, for example, who is one member of
the Signoria that made the stoutest resistance; and there is Giovan
Battista Ridolfi, who, Piagnone as he is, will not lightly forgive the
death of his brother Niccolo."

"But how can the Appeal be denied," said Romola, indignantly, "when it
is the law--when it was one of the chief glories of the popular
government to have passed the law?"

"They call this an exceptional case. Of course there are ingenious
arguments, but there is much more of loud bluster about the danger of
the Republic. But, you see, no opposition could prevent the assembly
from being prorogued, and a certain powerful influence rightly applied
during the next three days might determine the wavering courage of those
who desire that the Appeal should be granted, and might even give a
check to the headlong enmity of Francesco Valori. It happens to have
come to my knowledge that the Frate has so far interfered as to send a
message to him in favour of Lorenzo Tornabuoni. I know you can
sometimes have access to the Frate: it might at all events be worth
while to use your privilege now."

"It is true," said Romola, with an air of abstraction. "I cannot
believe that the Frate would approve denying the Appeal."

"I heard it said by more than one person in the court of the Palazzo,
before I came away, that it would be to the everlasting discredit of Fra
Girolamo if he allowed a government which is almost entirely made up of
his party, to deny the Appeal, without entering his protest, when he has
been boasting in his books and sermons that it was he who got the law
passed. [Note 1.] But between ourselves, with all respect for your
Frate's ability, my Romola, he has got into the practice of preaching
that form of human sacrifices called killing tyrants and wicked
malcontents, which some of his followers are likely to think
inco