d indeed, I thought it best not to run any risk of
the people seeing him until he recovers. Such absurd stories always get
about at once."

"So you went there to interrogate him?"

"Yes, Your Eminence. I hoped he would be more amenable to reason now."

Montanelli looked him over deliberately, almost as if he had been
inspecting a new and disagreeable animal. Fortunately, however, the
Governor was fingering his sword-belt, and did not see the look. He went
on placidly:

"I have not subjected him to any particular severities, but I have been
obliged to be rather strict with him--especially as it is a military
prison--and I thought that perhaps a little indulgence might have a
good effect. I offered to relax the discipline considerably if he would
behave in a reasonable manner; and how does Your Eminence suppose he
answered me? He lay looking at me a minute, like a wolf in a cage, and
then said quite softly: 'Colonel, I can't get up and strangle you;
but my teeth are pretty good; you had better take your throat a little
further off.' He is as savage as a wild-cat."

"I am not surprised to hear it," Montanelli answered quietly. "But I
came to ask you a question. Do you honestly believe that the presence of
Rivarez in the prison here constitutes a serious danger to the peace of
the district?"

"Most certainly I do, Your Eminence."

"You think that, to prevent the risk of bloodshed, it is absolutely
necessary that he should somehow be got rid of before Corpus Domini?"

"I can only repeat that if he is here on Thursday, I do not expect the
festival to pass over without a fight, and I think it likely to be a
serious one."

"And you think that if he were not here there would be no such danger?"

"In that case, there would either be no disturbance at all, or at most
a little shouting and stone-throwing. If Your Eminence can find some way
of getting rid of him, I will undertake that the peace shall be kept.
Otherwise, I expect most serious trouble. I am convinced that a new
rescue plot is on hand, and Thursday is the day when we may expect the
attempt. Now, if on that very morning they suddenly find that he is not
in the fortress at all, their plan fails of itself, and they have no
occasion to begin fighting. But if we have to repulse them, and the
daggers once get drawn among such throngs of people, we are likely to
have the place burnt down before nightfall."

"Then why do you not send him in to Ravenna?"

"Heaven