lence and universal kneeling, hostility and
scorn had only submitted unwillingly to a momentary spell.

"It seems to me the plaudits are giving way to criticism," said Tito,
who had been watching the scene attentively from an upper loggia in one
of the houses opposite the church. "Nevertheless it was a striking
moment, eh, Messer Pietro? Fra Girolamo is a man to make one understand
that there was a time when the monk's frock was a symbol of power over
men's minds rather than over the keys of women's cupboards."

"Assuredly," said Pietro Cennini. "And until I have seen proof that Fra
Girolamo has much less faith in God's judgments than the common run of
men, instead of having considerably more, I shall not believe that he
would brave Heaven in this way if his soul were laden with a conscious
lie."

CHAPTER SIXTY THREE.

RIPENING SCHEMES.

A month after that Carnival, one morning near the end of March, Tito
descended the marble steps of the Old Palace, bound on a pregnant errand
to San Marco. For some reason, he did not choose to take the direct
road, which was but a slightly-bent line from the Old Palace; he chose
rather to make a circuit by the Piazza di Santa Croce, where the people
would be pouring out of the church after the early sermon.

It was in the grand church of Santa Croce that the daily Lenten sermon
had of late had the largest audience. For Savonarola's voice had ceased
to be heard even in his own church of San Marco, a hostile Signoria
having imposed silence on him in obedience to a new letter from the
Pope, threatening the city with an immediate interdict if this "wretched
worm" and "monstrous idol" were not forbidden to preach, and sent to
demand pardon at Rome. And next to hearing Fra Girolamo himself, the
most exciting Lenten occupation was to hear him argued against and
vilified. This excitement was to be had in Santa Croce, where the
Franciscan appointed to preach the Quaresimal sermons had offered to
clench his arguments by walking through the fire with Fra Girolamo. Had
not that schismatical Dominican said, that his prophetic doctrine would
be proved by a miracle at the fitting time? Here, then, was the fitting
time. Let Savonarola walk through the fire, and if he came out unhurt,
the Divine origin of his doctrine would be demonstrated; but if the fire
consumed him, his falsity would be manifest; and that he might have no
excuse for evading the test, the Franciscan declared hims