第3章

"Yes，hehassoughtsuchcomfortinanotherloveasthehardcruelworldwouldallowhim。"

"Orperhapssomethingmorethanthat，"saidMackinnon。"HehasafamilyhereinRome，youknow；twolittlebabies。"

"Iknowit，Iknowit，"shesaid。"Cherubangels！"andasshespokeshelookedupintotheuglyfaceofMarcusAurelius；fortheywerestandingatthemomentunderthefigureofthegreathorsemanontheCampidoglio。"Ihaveseenthem，andtheyarethechildrenofinnocence。IfallthebloodofalltheHowardsranintheirveinsitcouldnotmaketheirbirthmorenoble！"

"NotifthefatherandmotherofalltheHowardshadneverbeenmarried，"saidMackinnon。

"What；thatfromyou，Mr。Mackinnon！"saidMrs。Talboys，turningherbackwithenergyupontheequestrianstatue，andlookingupintothefaces，firstofPolluxandthenofCastor，asthoughfromthemshemightgainsomeinspirationonthesubjectwhichMarcusAureliusinhiscoldnesshaddeniedtoher。"Fromyou，whohavesonoblyclaimedformankindthedivineattributesoffreeaction！Fromyou，whohavetaughtmymindtosoarabovethepettybondswhichonemaninhislittlenesscontrivesforthesubjectionofhisbrother。

Mackinnon！youwhoaresogreat！"Andshenowlookedupintohisface。"Mackinnon，unsaythosewords。"

"TheyAREillegitimate，"saidhe；"andiftherewasanylandedproperty"

"Landedproperty！andthatfromanAmerican！"

"ThechildrenareEnglish，youknow。"

"Landedproperty！Thetimewillshortlycomeay，andIseeitcomingwhenthathatefulwordshallbeexpungedfromthecalendar；

whenlandedpropertyshallbenomore。What！shallthefreesoulofaGod-bornmansubmititselfforevertosuchtrammelsasthat？

Shallweneverescapefromtheclaywhichsolonghasmanacledthesubtlerparticlesofthedivinespirit？Ay，yes，Mackinnon；"andthenshetookhimbythearm，andledhimtothetopofthehugestepswhichleaddownfromtheCampidogliointothestreetsofmodernRome。"Lookdownuponthatcountlessmultitude。"Mackinnonlookeddown，andsawthreegroupsofFrenchsoldiers，withthreeorfourlittlemenineachgroup；hesaw，also，acoupleofdirtyfriars，andthreepriestsveryslowlybeginningthesideascenttothechurchoftheAraCoeli。"Lookdownuponthatcountlessmultitude，"saidMrs。Talboys，andshestretchedherarmsoutoverthehalf-desertedcity。"Theyareescapingnowfromthesetrammels，now，now，nowthatIamspeaking。"

"Theyhaveescapedlongagofromallsuchtrammelsasthatoflandedproperty，"saidMackinnon。

"Ay，andfromallterrestrialbonds，"shecontinued，notexactlyremarkingthepithofhislastobservation；"frombondsquasi-

terrestrialandquasi-celestial。Thefull-formedlimbsofthepresentage，runningwithquickstreamsofgenerousblood，willnolongerbeartheligatureswhichpasttimeshavewovenforthedecrepit。Lookdownuponthatmultitude，Mackinnon；theyshallallbefree。"Andthen，stillclutchinghimbythearm，andstillstandingatthetopofthosestairs，shegaveforthherprophecywiththefuryofaSybil。

"Theyshallallbefree。Oh，Rome，thoueternalone！thouwhohastbowedthynecktoimperialprideandpriestlycraft；thouwhohastsufferedsorely，eventothishour，fromNerodowntoPioNono，thedaysofthineoppressionareover。GonefromthyenfranchisedwaysforeveristheclangofthePraetoriancohortsandthemoreodiousdroneofmeddlingmonks！"Andyet，asMackinnonobserved，therestillstoodthedirtyfriarsandthesmallFrenchsoldiers；andtherestilltoiledtheslowpriests，wendingtheirtediouswayuptothechurchoftheAraCoeli。Butthatwasthemundaneviewofthematter，aviewnotregardedbyMrs。Talboysinherecstasy。"O

Italia，"shecontinued，"OItaliauna，oneandindivisibleinthyrights，andindivisiblealsointhywrongs！tousisitgiventoseetheaccomplishmentofthyglory。ApeopleshallarisearoundthinealtarsgreaterintheannalsoftheworldthanthyScipios，thyGracchi，orthyCaesars。Notintorrentsofblood，orwithscreamsofbereavedmothers，shallthynewtriumphsbestained。Butmindshalldominateovermatter；anddoomed，togetherwithPopesandBourbons，withcardinals，diplomatists，andpolicespies，ignoranceandprejudiceshallbedrivenfromthysmilingterraces。AndthenRomeshallagainbecomethefaircapitalofthefairestregionofEurope。Hithershallflocktheartisansoftheworld，crowdingintothymartsallthatGodandmancangive。Wealth，beauty，andinnocenceshallmeetinthystreets"

"Therewillbeaconsiderablechangebeforethattakesplace，"saidMackinnon。

"Thereshallbeaconsiderablechange，"sheanswered。"Mackinnon，totheeitisgiventoreadthesignsofthetime；andhastthounotread？WhyhavethefieldsofMagentaandSolferinobeenpiledwiththecorpsesofdyingheroes？WhyhavethewatersoftheMincioranredwiththebloodofmartyrs？ThatItalymightbeunitedandRomeimmortal。Here，standingontheCapitoliumoftheancientcity，I

saythatitshallbeso；andthou，Mackinnon，whohearestme，knowestthatmywordsaretrue。"

TherewasnottheninRome，ImayalmostsaytherewasnotinItaly，anEnglishmanoranAmericanwhodidnotwishwelltothecauseforwhichItalywasandisstillcontending；asalsothereishardlyonewhodoesnotnowregardthatcauseaswell-nightriumphant；but，nevertheless，itwasalmostimpossibletosympathisewithMrs。Talboys。AsMackinnonsaid，sheflewsohighthattherewasnocomfortinflyingwithher。

"Well，"saidhe，"Brownandtherestofthemaredownbelow。Shallwegoandjointhem？"

"PoorBrown！Howwasitthat，inspeakingofhistroubles，wewereledontothisheart-stirringtheme？Yes，Ihaveseenthem，thesweetangels；andItellyoualsothatIhaveseentheirmother。I

insistedongoingtoherwhenIheardherhistoryfromhim。"

"Andwhatisshelike，Mrs。Talboys？"

"Well；educationhasdonemoreforsomeofusthanforothers；andtherearethosefromwhosemoralsandsentimentswemightthankfullydrawalesson，whosemannersandoutwardgesturesarenotsuchascustomhasmadeagreeabletous。You，Iknow，canunderstandthat。

Ihaveseenher，andfeelsurethatsheispureinheartandhighinprinciple。Hasshenotsacrificedherself；andisnotself-

sacrificethesurestguaranteefortruenobilityofcharacter？

WouldMrs。Mackinnonobjecttomybringingthemtogether？"