as did the
people of Jenne in the beginning. His deeds of charity to the soul are
even greater than his deeds of charity to the body. He has freed certain
families from moral disorders, and for this his life was threatened by
a woman of evil repute; he has persuaded some to go to church who, since
their childhood, have never set foot inside a church. The Benedictines
of Sant' Anselmo are well aware of these things. Then, two or three
times a week, in the evening, he speaks in the Catacombs."

The middle-aged spinister gasped!

"In the Catacombs?"

She leaned, shuddering, towards the speaker, while one of the Friends
murmured: "_Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu_!" and another voice, laden with reverent
surprise, said:

"How terrifying!"

"Well," the young man continued, smiling, "Porretti said 'in the
Catacombs,' but he meant in a secret place, known to few. At present I
myself know its whereabouts."

"Ah!" ejaculated the spinister. "You know? Where is it?"

Guarnacci did not answer, and, perceiving her indiscretion, she added
hastily.

"I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon!"

"We shall find out, we shall find out!" said the Marchesa. "But tell me,
my dear boy, is not this saint of yours, who preaches in secret, a kind
of heresiarch? What do the priests say to him?"

"To-night you might have seen three or four here who went away perfectly
satisfied."

"They must be very unpriestly priests, badly baked priests, counterfeit
priests. But what do the others say? Mark my words, sooner or later, the
others will apply the _torcibudella_, the 'entrail twister,' to him."

With this pleasing prophecy the Marchesa departed, followed by all the
bare shoulders.

The middle-aged spinister and the Friends, glad to be rid of that
contemptible, mundane bevy, assailed the Professor with questions. Must
he really not tell where the modern Catacombs were? How many people met
there? Women also? What were the subjects of his discourses? What did
the monks of Sant' Anselmo say? And was anything known concerning this
man's previous career? The Professor parried the questions as best he
might, and simply repeated to them the words of one of the fathers at
Sant' Anselmo: "If there were a Benedetto for every parish in Rome,
Rome would indeed become the Holy City." But when--all the others having
left--he found himself alone with Signora Albacina and the silent lady,
who were waiting for their carriage, he intimated to the former--to whom
he wa