"Bruno is taken, and hundreds of others are in prison."
"But you are safe? You are well? You are uninjured?"
"Yes," he answered between his teeth, and then he covered his face with
his hands. "God knows I did my best to prevent this bloodshed--I would
have laid down my life to prevent it."
"God does know it."
"Take this."
He drew something from his breast-pocket and put it into her hands.
It was the revolver.
"I cannot trust myself any longer."
"You haven't used it?"
"No."
"Thank God!"
"I should have done so if I could have met the man face to face."
"The Baron?"
"I searched for him everywhere, and couldn't find him. God kept him out
of my way to save me from sin and shame."
With a frightened cry she put down the revolver and clasped her hands
about his neck. He began to recover his dazed senses and to smooth the
hair on her damp forehead.
"My poor Roma! You didn't think we were to part like this?"
Her arms slackened, and she dropped her head on to his shoulder.
"Last night you told me to fly, and I wouldn't do so. There was no man
in Rome I was afraid of then. But to-night there is some one I am afraid
of. I am afraid of myself."
"You intend to go?"
"Yes! I shall feel like a captain who deserts his sinking ship. Would to
God I could have gone down with her!... Yet no! She is not lost yet.
Everything is in God's hands. Perhaps there is work for me abroad, now
that the paths are closed to me at home. Let us wait and see."
They were both silent for a while.
"Then it's all over," she said, gulping down a sob.
"God forbid! This black night in Rome is only the beginning of the end.
It will be the dawn of the resurrection everywhere."
"But it is all over between you and me."
"Indeed, no. No, no! I cannot take you with me. That is impossible. I
couldn't see you suffer hunger and thirst and the privations of exile,
but...."
"Our marriage cannot be celebrated now, and that being so...."
"The banns are good for half a year, Roma, and before that time I shall
be back. Have no fear! The immortality stirring beneath the ruins of
this old city will give us victory all over Italy. I will return and we
shall be very happy. How happy we shall be!"