"Her husband's life," said the Baron.
"His life?"
"Your Holiness may not know that the Governments of Europe, having
ascertained the existence of a widespread plot against civil society,
have joined in measures of repression. One of these is the extension to
all countries of what is called the Belgian clause in treaties, whereby
persons guilty of regicide or of plots directed against the lives of
sovereigns are made liable to extradition."
"Well?"
"The Deputy Rossi is now in Berlin. If he were denounced with the
conditions required by law as conspiring against the life of the King,
we might have him arrested to-night and brought back as a common
murderer."
"Well?"
"Your Holiness may not have heard that since the late unhappy riots the
Parliament, in spite of the protests of his Majesty, has re-established
capital punishment for all forms of high treason."
"Therefore," said the Pope, "if the wife were to denounce her husband
for participation in this conspiracy he would be sentenced to death."
"For this conspiracy--yes," said the Baron. "But the present is not the
only conspiracy the man Rossi has engaged in. Eighteen years ago he was
condemned in contumacy for conspiracy against the life of the late King.
He has not yet suffered for his crime, because of the difficulty of
bringing it home. In that case, as in this, there is only one person
known to the authorities who can fulfil the conditions required by law.
That person is the informant of your Holiness."
"Well?"
"If your Holiness can prevail upon the lady to identify her lover as the
man condemned for the former conspiracy, you will be helping her to save
her husband's life from the penalty due for the present one."
"How so?"
"His Majesty is willing to promise your Holiness that, whatever the
result of a new trial in assize to follow the old one in contumacy, he
will grant a complete pardon."
"And then?"
"Then the Deputy Rossi will be banished, the threatened conspiracy will
be crushed, the public peace will be preserved, and the King's life will
be saved."
The Pope leaned forward on the arms of his chair, but he did not speak,
and there was silence for some moments.
"Thus your Holiness must see," said the Baron suavely, "that, in asking
you to obtain the denunciation of the man Rossi, the Government is only
looking to your Holiness to fulfil the mission of mercy to which your
venerated position has destined you."