with my own hand for that great cause as willingly
as I would sacrifice myself."

"Of course you would," she answered, with an amazement almost equal
to his own. "What was the use of proclaiming a truth so self-evident
as that? You are a man and a patriot, and you love your country"--her
voice rang and her bosom heaved--"and you have given all the best years
of your life in suffering for her; and that is why I love and honor you.
But that is what a man could never understand. You love your cause, and
we women love you for loving it; and love it because you love it, and
we would die for it just as soon as you would. Oh, you heroic, noble,
beautiful--goose!" She rushed at him, and kissed him with a passionate
impetuosity. "And you think it's all Italy. It isn't Italy; it's you!
You're my father, and you're a hero, and a--and a--martyr, and the
noblest man that ever lived; and I love you, and I'm proud of you,
and--Italy! You're my Italy, dear!"

I know that I have not even recorded the words she spoke, well as I
fancied I remembered them. But there is no recording the manner, all
fire and passion and melting tenderness; and such a sudden sense of fun
and affection in the very middle of it all that I was within an ace of
crying at it. The count did cry, without disguise, and so did she, and
I did what I could to look as if I were not in the least moved. But when
her outburst was over, and we had all settled down again, there was no
further hint of disobedience. Violet sat down submissively on a little
footstool at the count's side, holding his hand and resting her head
against his knee while he detailed his plans, so far as they were ripe,
or speculated beyond them, looking into the possibilities of the future.

In a while, according to arrangement, Mr. Quorn returned, and this broke
up our conclave. I knew already the hour and place appointed for that
night, and the count and I agreed to meet there. 12

CHAPTER XIII

We met in a room in Soho, over an Italian restaurateur's. The place was
dimly lit with lamps and a brace of tall candles, and down the centre of
the room ran a long, unclothed table, with chairs ranged at either side
of it. The men who formed our council were of every social grade, and in
the crowd which hung about the room at the moment of my entrance there
were two or three who would have passed social muster anywhere, and two
or three who were shaggy, unkempt, and ragged enough to have been
take