, closely
shaven. Why, he is one of your fellow-students."

"There are many students in the university whom I don't know."

"Oh, but you must know Bolla, surely! Look, this is his handwriting. You
see, he knows you well enough."

The colonel carelessly handed him a paper headed: "Protocol," and
signed: "Giovanni Bolla." Glancing down it Arthur came upon his own
name. He looked up in surprise. "Am I to read it?"

"Yes, you may as well; it concerns you."

He began to read, while the officers sat silently watching his face. The
document appeared to consist of depositions in answer to a long string
of questions. Evidently Bolla, too, must have been arrested. The first
depositions were of the usual stereotyped character; then followed
a short account of Bolla's connection with the society, of the
dissemination of prohibited literature in Leghorn, and of the students'
meetings. Next came "Among those who joined us was a young Englishman,
Arthur Burton, who belongs to one of the rich shipowning families."

The blood rushed into Arthur's face. Bolla had betrayed him! Bolla, who
had taken upon himself the solemn duties of an initiator--Bolla, who had
converted Gemma--who was in love with her! He laid down the paper and
stared at the floor.

"I hope that little document has refreshed your memory?" hinted the
colonel politely.

Arthur shook his head. "I know no one of that name," he repeated in a
dull, hard voice. "There must be some mistake."

"Mistake? Oh, nonsense! Come, Mr. Burton, chivalry and quixotism are
very fine things in their way; but there's no use in overdoing them.
It's an error all you young people fall into at first. Come, think! What
good is it for you to compromise yourself and spoil your prospects in
life over a simple formality about a man that has betrayed you? You see
yourself, he wasn't so particular as to what he said about you."

A faint shade of something like mockery had crept into the colonel's
voice. Arthur looked up with a start; a sudden light flashed upon his
mind.

"It's a lie!" he cried out. "It's a forgery! I can see it in your face,
you cowardly----You've got some prisoner there you want to compromise,
or a trap you want to drag me into. You are a forger, and a liar, and a
scoundrel----"

"Silence!" shouted the colonel, starting up in a rage; his two
colleagues were already on their feet. "Captain Tommasi," he went on,
turning to one of them, "ring for the guard, if you please, a