s,
this among the rest; but, whilst she thoroughly sympathised with me in
the particular matter to which I have referred, she had penetration
enough to be fully sensible of the danger to which I was exposing
myself; and she earnestly sought to dissuade me from having anything to
do with active politics. But I was proud of being looked upon as a
patriot, and blind to the fact that my country was not then ripe for the
freedom which I, among others, burned to give her; I, therefore, as
usual, went my own headstrong way, and eventually got into very serious
trouble. I was obliged to fly; and learning that your mother--by this
time married--was in Rome, I resolved to seek her in the first instance,
and beg of her that pecuniary assistance which my other friends were
incapable of affording me. I did so, found her, and, after considerable
difficulty, succeeded in obtaining a private interview with her. I
represented to her the danger of the position in which--"

"One moment," I interrupted. "What, may I ask, was your object in
making the interview _private_?"

"It was on your father's account," answered Merlani. "I know not what
he may be _now_, if he still lives, but he was then an exceedingly
proud, haughty, and overbearing man, very impatient and hasty of temper,
as I had had many opportunities of noticing; and he had, moreover, no
sympathy with the movement with which I had associated myself. I
happened to know, also, that though he was unaware of the relationship--
if I may so term it--which existed between your mother and myself, I had
been unfortunate enough to attract his unfavourable attention whilst he
was prosecuting his love suit with your mother. I was therefore
anxious, above all things, to avoid compromising the wife in the eyes of
her husband by letting him know that she possessed so disreputable an
acquaintance; and finally, I felt convinced that if he became acquainted
with the facts of my case he would consider it his duty to deliver me
into the hands of the authorities. Hence my desire for secrecy.

"Well, as I have said, I found your mother, represented to her the peril
of my position, pointed out to her the imperative necessity for absolute
secrecy, and besought her, by all she held dearest, to help me once more
and for the last time. She was deeply distressed when I told her in how
serious a scrape I had involved myself, the more so as she could see no
way of helping me without appealing to h