"Francesca Maria Mariotti," cried the usher, and the old deaf mother of
Bruno's wife was brought into court. She wore a coloured handkerchief on
her head as usual, and two shawls over her shoulders. Being a relative
of the prisoner, she was not sworn.
"Your name and your father's name?" said the president.
"Francesca Maria Mariotti," she answered.
"I said your father's name."
"Seventy-five, your Excellency."
"I asked you for your father's name."
"None at all, your Excellency."
A Carabineer explained that the woman was nearly stone deaf, whereupon
the president, who was irritated by the laughter his questions had
provoked, ordered the woman to be removed.
"Tommaso Mariotti," said the president, after the preliminary
interrogations, "you are porter at the Piazza Navona, and will be able
to say if meetings of political associations were held there, if the
prisoner took part in them, and who were the organising authorities. Now
answer me, were meetings ever held in your house?"
The old man turned his pork-pie hat in his hand, and made no answer.
"Answer me. We cannot sit here all day doing nothing."
"It's the Eternal City, Excellency--we can take our time," said the old
man.
"Answer the president instantly," said the usher. "Don't you know he can
punish you if you don't?"
At that the Garibaldian's eyes became moist, and he looked at the
judges. "Generals," he said, "I am only an old man, not much good to
anybody, but I was a soldier myself once. I was one of the 'Thousand,'
the 'Brave Thousand' they called us, and I shed my blood for my country.
Now I am more than threescore years and ten, and the rest of my days are
numbered. Do you want me for the sake of what is left of them to betray
my comrades?"
"Next witness," said the president, and at the same moment a thick,
half-stifled voice came from the bench of the accused.
"Why the ---- don't you go on with the trial?"
"Prisoner," said the president, "if you continue to make these
interruptions I shall stop the trial and order you to be flogged."
Bruno answered with a peal of laughter. The president--he was a
bald-headed man with the heavy jaw of a bloodhound--looked at him
attentively for a moment, and then said to the men below: "Go on."
The next witness was the Director of Regina C[oe]li. He deposed that the
prisoner had made a statement to him which he had taken down in writing.
This statement amounted to a denunciation of the Deputy David Rossi as
the real author of the crime of which he with others was charged.