in the rear of the room of office, carefully shut the door,
and then giving himself up to the natural impatience of his character,
seized Pandulfo by the hand: "Speak!" cried he: "do they take the
interpretation?--have you made it plain and palpable enough?--has it
sunk deep into their souls?"

"Oh, by St. Peter! yes!" returned the citizen, whose spirits were
elevated by his recent discovery that he, too, was an orator--a
luxurious pleasure for a timid man. "They swallowed every word of the
interpretation; they are moved to the marrow--you might lead them this
very hour to battle, and find them heroes. As for the sturdy smith--"

"What! Cecco del Vecchio?" interrupted Rienzi; "ah, his heart is wrought
in bronze--what did he?"

"Why, he caught me by the hem of my robe as I descended my rostrum, (oh!
would you could have seen me!--per fede I had caught your mantle!--I was
a second you!) and said, weeping like a child, 'Ah, Signor, I am but a
poor man, and of little worth; but if every drop of blood in this body
were a life, I would give it for my country!'"

"Brave soul," said Rienzi, with emotion; "would Rome had but fifty
such! No man hath done us more good among his own class than Cecco del
Vecchio."

"They feel a protection in his very size," said Pandulfo. "It is
something to hear such big words from such a big fellow."

"Were there any voices lifted in disapprobation of the picture and its
sentiment?"

"None."

"The time is nearly ripe, then--a few suns more, and the fruit must be
gathered. The Aventine,--the Lateran,--and then the solitary trumpet!"
Thus saying, Rienzi, with folded arms and downcast eyes, seemed sunk
into a reverie.

"By the way," said Pandulfo, "I had almost forgot to tell thee, that the
crowd would have poured themselves hither, so impatient were they to see
thee; but I bade Cecco del Vecchio mount the rostrum, and tell them, in
his blunt way, that it would be unseemly at the present time, when thou
wert engaged in the Capitol on civil and holy affairs, to rush in so
great a body into thy presence. Did I not right?"

"Most right, my Pandulfo."

"But Cecco del Vecchio says he must come and kiss thy hand: and thou
mayst expect him here the moment he can escape unobserved from the
crowd."

"He is welcome!" said Rienzi, half mechanically, for he was still
absorbed in thought.

"And, lo! here he is,"--as one of the scribes announced the visit of the
smith.

"Let him be admitted!"