it. It is over. Rome is gone. Now we
must build something better."

She threw herself sobbing into his arms.

CHAPTER VIII

I

Long before dawn on the first morning of the New Year the approaches to
the Abbey were already blocked. Victoria Street, Great George Street,
Whitehall--even Millbank Street itself--were full and motionless. Broad
Sanctuary, divided by the low-walled motor-track, was itself cut into
great blocks and wedges of people by the ways which the police kept open
for the passage of important personages, and Palace Yard was kept
rigidly clear except for one island, occupied by a stand which was
itself full from top to bottom and end to end. All roofs and parapets
which commanded a view of the Abbey were also one mass of heads.
Overhead, like solemn moons, burned the white lights of the electric
globes.

It was not known at exactly what hour the tumult had steadied itself to
definite purpose, except to a few weary controllers of the temporary
turnstiles which had been erected the evening before. It had been
announced a week previously that, in consideration of the enormous
demand for seats, all persons who presented their worship-ticket at an
authorised office, and followed the directions issued by the police,
would be accounted as having fulfilled the duties of citizenship in that
respect, and it was generally made known that it was the Government's
intention to toll the great bell of the Abbey at the beginning of the
ceremony and at the incensing of the image, during which period silence
must be as far as possible preserved by all those within hearing.

London had gone completely mad on the announcement of the Catholic plot
on the afternoon before. The secret had leaked out about fourteen
o'clock, an hour after the betrayal of the scheme to Mr. Snowford; and
practically all commercial activities had ceased on the instant. By
fifteen-and-a-half all stores were closed, the Stock Exchange, the City
offices, the West End establishments--all had as by irresistible impulse
suspended business, and from within two hours after noon until nearly
midnight, when the police had been adequately reinforced and enabled to
deal with the situation, whole mobs and armies of men, screaming
squadrons of women, troops of frantic youths, had paraded the streets,
howling, denouncing, and murdering. It was not known how many deaths had
taken place, but there was scarcely a street without the signs of
outrage. W