mmediately after the
funeral, the mourners returned to Rome, hoping at length to enjoy
quietude and peace. For some time, indeed, they did enjoy tranquillity,
perhaps poisoned by remorse, but ere long retribution pursued them. The
court of Naples, hearing of the sudden and unexpected death of Francesco
Cenci, and conceiving some suspicions of violence, despatched a royal
commissioner to Petrella to exhume the body and make minute inquiries, if
there appeared to be adequate grounds for doing so. On his arrival all
the domestics in the castle were placed under arrest and sent in chains
to Naples. No incriminating proofs, however, were found, except in the
evidence of the laundress, who deposed that Beatrice had given her a
bloodstained sheet to wash. This, clue led to terrible consequences;
for, further questioned she declared that she could not believe the
explanation given to account for its condition. The evidence was sent to
the Roman court; but at that period it did not appear strong enough to
warrant the arrest of the Cenci family, who remained undisturbed for many
months, during which time the youngest boy died. Of the five brothers
there only remained Giacomo, the eldest, and Bernardo, the youngest but
one. Nothing prevented them from escaping to Venice or Florence; but
they remained quietly in Rome.

Meantime Monsignor Guerra received private information that, shortly
before the death of Francesco, Marzio and Olympio had been seen prowling
round the castle, and that the Neapolitan police had received orders to
arrest them.

The monsignor was a most wary man, and very difficult to catch napping
when warned in time. He immediately hired two other sbirri to
assassinate Marzio and Olympio. The one commissioned to put Olympio out
of the way came across him at Terni, and conscientiously did his work
with a poniard, but Marzio's man unfortunately arrived at Naples too
late, and found his bird already in the hands of the police.

He was put to the torture, and confessed everything. His deposition was
sent to Rome, whither he shortly afterwards followed it, to be confronted
with the accused. Warrants were immediately issued for the arrest of
Giacomo, Bernardo, Lucrezia, and Beatrice; they were at first confined in
the Cenci palace under a strong guard, but the proofs against them
becoming stronger and stronger, they were removed to the castle of Corte
Savella, where they were confronted with Marzio; but they