The Baron paused, and then repeated in a low tone with the utmost
deliberation: "I say, if any of these should escape, Commendatore...."
"They shall not escape, your Excellency."
There was a moment of profound silence, in which Roma felt herself to be
suffocating, and could scarcely restrain the cry that was rising in her
throat.
"Let me go," she said, when the Chief of Police had backed and bowed
himself out; but again the Baron pretended to misunderstand her.
"Only one more visitor! I shall be finished in a few minutes," and then
Charles Minghelli was shown into the room.
The man's watchful eyes blinked perceptibly as he came face to face
with Roma, but he recovered himself in a moment, and began to brush with
his fingers the breast of his frockcoat.
"Sit down, Minghelli. You may speak freely before Donna Roma. You owe
your position to her generous influence, you may remember, and she is
abreast of all our business. You know all about this meeting at the
Coliseum?"
Minghelli bent his head.
"The delegates of police have received the strictest orders not to give
the word to the military until an overt act of resistance has been
committed. That is necessary as well for the safety of our poor deluded
people as for our own credit in the eyes of the world. But an act of
rebellion in such a case is a little thing, Mr. Minghelli."
Again Minghelli bent his head.
"A blow, a shot, a shower of stones, and the peace is broken and the
delegate is justified."
A third time Minghelli bent his head.
"Unfortunately, in the sorrowful circumstances in which the city is
placed, an overt act of resistance is quite sure to be committed."
Minghelli flecked a speck of dust from his spotless cuff and said: "Quite sure, your Excellency."
There was another moment of profound silence, in which Roma felt her
heart beat violently.
"Adieu, Mr. Minghelli. Tell my secretary as you pass out that I wish to
dictate a letter."
The letter was to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"Dear colleague," dictated the Baron, "I entirely approve of the
proposal you have made to the Governments of Europe and America to
establish a basis on which anarchists should be suppressed by means of
an international net, through which they can hardly escape. My
suggestion would be the universal application of the Belgian clause in
all existing extradition treaties, whereby persons guilty of regicide
may be dealt with as common murderers. In any case please say that the
Government of Italy intends to do its duty to the civilised world, and
will look to the Governments of other countries to allow it to follow up
and arrest the criminals who are attempting to reconstruct society by
burying it under ruins."