ark corners. Still, life is life, and he must make
the best of it.

In a few minutes the sailor came back with something in his hands which
Arthur could not distinctly see for the darkness.

"Now, give me the watch and money. Make haste!"

Taking advantage of the darkness, Arthur succeeded in keeping back a few
coins.

"You must get me something to eat," he said; "I am half starved."

"I've brought it. Here you are." The sailor handed him a pitcher, some
hard biscuit, and a piece of salt pork. "Now mind, you must hide in this
empty barrel, here, when the customs officers come to examine to-morrow
morning. Keep as still as a mouse till we're right out at sea. I'll let
you know when to come out. And won't you just catch it when the captain
sees you--that's all! Got the drink safe? Good-night!"

The hatchway closed, and Arthur, setting the precious "drink" in a safe
place, climbed on to an oil barrel to eat his pork and biscuit. Then he
curled himself up on the dirty floor; and, for the first time since his
babyhood, settled himself to sleep without a prayer. The rats scurried
round him in the darkness; but neither their persistent noise nor the
swaying of the ship, nor the nauseating stench of oil, nor the prospect
of to-morrow's sea-sickness, could keep him awake. He cared no more for
them all than for the broken and dishonoured idols that only yesterday
had been the gods of his adoration.

PART II.

THIRTEEN YEARS LATER.

CHAPTER I.

ONE evening in July, 1846, a few acquaintances met at Professor
Fabrizi's house in Florence to discuss plans for future political work.

Several of them belonged to the Mazzinian party and would have been
satisfied with nothing less than a democratic Republic and a United
Italy. Others were Constitutional Monarchists and Liberals of
various shades. On one point, however, they were all agreed; that of
dissatisfaction with the Tuscan censorship; and the popular professor
had called the meeting in the hope that, on this one subject at least,
the representatives of the dissentient parties would be able to get
through an hour's discussion without quarrelling.

Only a fortnight had elapsed since the famous amnesty which Pius IX. had
granted, on his accession, to political offenders in the Papal States;
but the wave of liberal enthusiasm caused by it was already spreading
over Italy. In Tuscany even the government appeared to have been
affected by the astounding event.