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18 - Gadfly by Ethel Lilian Voynich · Gadfly

0:02
Speaker 1: But can't I meet him somewhere in the hills. Brizigiya
0:07
Speaker 1: is a risky place for me. Every inch of ground
0:10
Speaker 1: in Littlemagna is risky for you. But just at this moment,
0:13
Speaker 1: Brisigia is safer for you than any other place. Why,
0:17
Speaker 1: I'll tell you in a minute. Don't let that man
0:19
Speaker 1: with the blue jacket's your face. He's dangerous. Yes, it
0:22
Speaker 1: was a terrible storm. I don't remember to have seen
0:25
Speaker 1: the vines so bad for a long time. The catfly
0:29
Speaker 1: spread his arms on the table and laid his face
0:31
Speaker 1: upon them like a man overcome with fatigue and wine.
0:33
Speaker 1: And the dangerous newcomer in the blue jacket, glancing swiftly round,
0:37
Speaker 1: saw only two farmers discussing their crops over a flask
0:40
Speaker 1: of wine, and a sleepy mountaineer with his head on
0:42
Speaker 1: the table. It was the usual sort of thing to
0:45
Speaker 1: see in little places like Maradi, and the owner of
0:48
Speaker 1: the blue jacket apparently made up his mind that nothing
0:51
Speaker 1: could be gained by listening, for he drank his wine
0:53
Speaker 1: at a gulp and sauntered into the outer room. There
0:56
Speaker 1: he stood, leaning on the counter and gossiping lazily, with
0:59
Speaker 1: the land glancing every now and then out of the
1:02
Speaker 1: corner of one eye through the open door, beyond which
1:04
Speaker 1: sat the three figures at the table. The two farmers
1:07
Speaker 1: went on sipping their wine and discussing the weather in
1:10
Speaker 1: the local dialect, and the Gaplie snored like a man
1:12
Speaker 1: whose consciences sound. At last, the spy seemed to make
1:17
Speaker 1: up his mind there was nothing in the wine shop
1:19
Speaker 1: worth further waste in his time. He paid his reckoning,
1:22
Speaker 1: and lounging out of the house, sauntered away down the
1:25
Speaker 1: narrow street. The gag Blie, yawning and stretching, lifted himself
1:29
Speaker 1: up and sleepily rubbed the sleeve of his linen blouse
1:31
Speaker 1: across his eye. Pretty sharp practice, that, he said, pulling
1:36
Speaker 1: a clasp knife out of his pocket and cutting off
1:38
Speaker 1: a chunk from the rylope on the table. Have they
1:41
Speaker 1: been worrying you much lately, Michael? They've been worse than
1:44
Speaker 1: Mosquitos in August. There's no getting a minute's piece. Wherever
1:47
Speaker 1: one goes, there's always a spy hanging about. Even right
1:51
Speaker 1: up in the hills where they used to be so
1:53
Speaker 1: shy about venturing. They've taken to coming in bands of
1:56
Speaker 1: three or four. Haven't they Gino, that's why we arranged
1:58
Speaker 1: for you to meet Dominihino in the town. Yes, but
2:02
Speaker 1: why Braezygila, a frontier town is always full of spies.
2:06
Speaker 1: Brieziguela just now is a capital place. It's swarming with
2:10
Speaker 1: pilgrims from all parts of the country. But it's not
2:13
Speaker 1: on the way to anywhere. It's not far out of
2:15
Speaker 1: the way to Rome, and many of the eastern pilgrims
2:18
Speaker 1: are going round to hear mass there. I did did,
2:21
Speaker 1: didn't know there was anything special in Berzigela. There's the cardinal.
2:26
Speaker 1: Don't you remember his going to Florence to preach last December.
2:29
Speaker 1: It's that same Cardinal Montanelli. They say he made a
2:32
Speaker 1: great sensation. I dare say, I don't go to hear sermons. Well,
2:37
Speaker 1: he has the reputation of being a saint. You see,
2:40
Speaker 1: how does he manage that? I don't know. I suppose
2:44
Speaker 1: because he gives away all his income and lives like
2:45
Speaker 1: a parish priest with four or five school a year.
2:49
Speaker 1: Ah interposed the man called Gino. But it's more than that.
2:53
Speaker 1: He doesn't only give away money. He spends his whole
2:55
Speaker 1: life in looking after the poor and seeing the sick
2:57
Speaker 1: are properly treated and hearing complaints grievances from morning till night.
3:01
Speaker 1: I'm no fonder of preats the new armachelle. But Monsignor
3:05
Speaker 1: Montanelli is not like other cardinals. Oh, I dare say,
3:09
Speaker 1: he's more fool than knave, said michel anyhow the people
3:12
Speaker 1: are mad after him, and the last new freak is
3:14
Speaker 1: for the pilgrims to go round that way to ask
3:16
Speaker 1: his blessing. Dominichino thought of going as a peddler with
3:20
Speaker 1: a basket of cheap crosses and rosaries. The people like
3:22
Speaker 1: to buy those things and ask the cardinal to touch them,
3:25
Speaker 1: and they put them round their babies, next to eve
3:27
Speaker 1: off the evil eye. Wait a minute, how am I
3:30
Speaker 1: to go as a pilgrim? His make up suits me
3:33
Speaker 1: pretty well, I think, But it w won't do for
3:35
Speaker 1: me to show myself and frizzy Gila in the same
3:37
Speaker 1: character that I had here. It would be ever the
3:41
Speaker 1: dance against you. If I get taken, you won't get taken.
3:44
Speaker 1: We have a splendid disguise for you, with a passport
3:46
Speaker 1: and all complete. What is it? An old Spanish pilgrim,
3:51
Speaker 1: a repentant brigand from the Sierras. He fell ill and
3:54
Speaker 1: Unconna last year, and one of our friends to come
3:56
Speaker 1: on board a trading vessel out of cherry and set
3:59
Speaker 1: him down in Venice and need friends, And he left
4:01
Speaker 1: his papers with us to show his gratitude. They will
4:04
Speaker 1: just do for you, a repentant a Brigand but what
4:08
Speaker 1: about the police, Oh that's all right. He finished his
4:12
Speaker 1: term with the Galleys some years ago and has been
4:13
Speaker 1: going about to Jerusalem and all sorts of places, saving
4:16
Speaker 1: his soul ever since. He killed a son by a
4:18
Speaker 1: mistake for somebody else and gave himself up to the
4:20
Speaker 1: police in a fit of remorse. Was he quite old? Yes?
4:24
Speaker 1: But a white beard and wig will set that right.
4:26
Speaker 1: And the description suits you to perfection in every other respect.
4:29
Speaker 1: He was an old soldier with a lame foot and
4:31
Speaker 1: a saber cut across the face like yours. And then
4:34
Speaker 1: his being a Spaniard too. You see, if you meet
4:36
Speaker 1: any Spaniard Pilgrims, you can talk to them, all right,
4:40
Speaker 1: where a mind to meet? Dominicino. You joined the Pilgrims
4:43
Speaker 1: at the cross road that we will show you on
4:44
Speaker 1: the map, saying you had lost your way in the
4:46
Speaker 1: hills then when you reach the town, you go with
4:49
Speaker 1: the rest of them into the market place in front
4:51
Speaker 1: of the cardinal's palace. Oh, he manages to live in
4:54
Speaker 1: a palace. Then, in spite of being a saint, he
4:58
Speaker 1: lives in one way of it and has turn the
5:00
Speaker 1: rest into a hospital. Well, you all wait there for
5:03
Speaker 1: him to come out and give him his benediction, and
5:05
Speaker 1: Dominiquino will come up with his basket and say are
5:08
Speaker 1: you one of the pilgrim's father? And you answer, I
5:10
Speaker 1: am a miserable sinner. Then he puts down his basket
5:13
Speaker 1: and marched his face with the sleeve, and you offer
5:15
Speaker 1: him six soldi for a rosary. Then, of course he
5:19
Speaker 1: arranges where we can talk. Yes, you will have plenty
5:22
Speaker 1: of time to give you the address of the meeting
5:23
Speaker 1: place while the people are gaping at Montanelli. That was
5:26
Speaker 1: our plan. But if you don't like it, we can
5:28
Speaker 1: let Dominikino know and arrange something else. No, it will do.
5:32
Speaker 1: Only see that the beard and wig look natural. Are
5:37
Speaker 1: you one of the Pilgrim's father? The Gadby, sitting on
5:40
Speaker 1: the steps of the episcopal palace, looked up from under
5:42
Speaker 1: his ragged white locks and gave the password in a husky,
5:45
Speaker 1: trembling voice with a strong foreign accent. Dominiquino slipped the
5:49
Speaker 1: leather strap from his shoulder and set down his basket
5:51
Speaker 1: of pious kew gauze on the step. The crowd of
5:55
Speaker 1: peasants and pilgrims sitting on the steps and lounging about
5:57
Speaker 1: the marketplace was taking no notice of them. For caution's sake,
6:00
Speaker 1: he kept up a desultory conversation, Dominichino speaking in the
6:04
Speaker 1: local dialect, and the gadflin and broken Italian intermixed the
6:07
Speaker 1: Spanish words. His eminence, His eminence is coming out, shouted
6:11
Speaker 1: the people by the door, stand aside. His eminence is coming.
6:16
Speaker 1: They both stood up here, father, said Dominikino, putting into
6:20
Speaker 1: the Gadfy's hand a little image wrapped in paper. Take
6:23
Speaker 1: this too, and pray for me, meaning it to roll.
6:26
Speaker 1: The Gadfli thrust it into his breast and turned to
6:28
Speaker 1: look at the figure in the violet lenten robe and
6:31
Speaker 1: scarlet cap that was standing on the upper step and
6:33
Speaker 1: blessing the people with outstretched arms. Montanelli came slowly down
6:38
Speaker 1: the steps, with people crowding about him to kiss his hands.
6:42
Speaker 1: Many knelt down and put the hem of his cassett
6:44
Speaker 1: to their lips as he passed, Peace be with you,
6:47
Speaker 1: my children. At the sound of the clear, silvery voice,
6:50
Speaker 1: the Gadfli bent his head so that the white hair
6:52
Speaker 1: fell across his face, and Dominiquino, seeing the quivering of
6:55
Speaker 1: the pilgrim's staff in his hand, said to himself with admiration,
6:59
Speaker 1: what an actor. A woman standing near to them stooped
7:03
Speaker 1: down and lifted her child from the step. Come Chaco,
7:07
Speaker 1: she said, his eminence will bless you, as the dear
7:10
Speaker 1: Lord blessed the children. The Gadfline moved to step forward
7:13
Speaker 1: and stopped. Oh it was hard. All these outsiders, these
7:17
Speaker 1: pilgrims and mountaineers, could go up and speak to him,
7:20
Speaker 1: and he would lay his hand on their children's hair.
7:23
Speaker 1: Perhaps he would say kadiino to that peasant boy, as
7:25
Speaker 1: he used to say. The gad flies sank down again
7:28
Speaker 1: on the step, turning away that he might not see
7:31
Speaker 1: if only he could shrink into some corner and stop
7:33
Speaker 1: his ears to shut out the sound. Indeed, it was
7:35
Speaker 1: more than any man should have to bear to be
7:38
Speaker 1: so close, so close that he could have put out
7:40
Speaker 1: his arm and touched dear hand. Will you not come
7:44
Speaker 1: under shelter, my friend, The soft voice said, I am
7:47
Speaker 1: afraid you are chilled. The gadfly's heart stood still for
7:52
Speaker 1: a moment. He was conscious of nothing but the sickening
7:54
Speaker 1: pressure of the blood that seemed as if it would
7:55
Speaker 1: tear his breast asunder. Then it rushed back, tangling and
7:59
Speaker 1: burning through all his bom and he looked up the grave.
8:02
Speaker 1: Deep eyes above him grew suddenly tender with divine compassion
8:05
Speaker 1: at the sight of his face. Stand back, little friends,
8:09
Speaker 1: MONTONETI said, turning to the crowd, I want to speak
8:12
Speaker 1: to him. The people fell slowly back, whispering to each other,
8:16
Speaker 1: and the gadfly, sitting motionless, teeth clenched an eye on
8:19
Speaker 1: the ground, felt the gentle touch of Montenelli's hand upon
8:22
Speaker 1: his shoulder. You have had some great trouble. Can I
8:25
Speaker 1: do anything to help you? The gadfly shook his head
8:28
Speaker 1: in silence. Are you a pilgrim? I am a miserable sinner.
8:35
Speaker 1: The accidental similarity of Montennai's questioned the password came like
8:38
Speaker 1: a chance straw that the gadfly, in his desperation, caught
8:42
Speaker 1: at answering automatically. He had begun to tremble under the
8:45
Speaker 1: soft pressure of the hand that seemed to burn upon
8:47
Speaker 1: his shoulder. The cardinal bent down closer to him. Perhaps
8:52
Speaker 1: you would care to speak to me alone, if I
8:54
Speaker 1: can be any help to you. For the first time,
8:57
Speaker 1: the gadfly looked straight and steadily into Montenelli's eyes. He
9:00
Speaker 1: was already recovering his self. Command It would be no use,
9:04
Speaker 1: he said, The thing is hopeless. A police official, step
9:08
Speaker 1: forward out of the crowd. Forgive my intruding your eminence.
9:11
Speaker 1: I think the old man is not quite sound in
9:13
Speaker 1: his mind. He is perfectly harmless, and his papers are
9:16
Speaker 1: in orders. We don't interfere with him. He has been
9:18
Speaker 1: in penal servitude for a great crime, as now doing
9:20
Speaker 1: penance a great crime. Begatwi repeated, shaking his head slowly.
9:27
Speaker 1: Thank you, captain, stand aside a little, please, my friend,
9:30
Speaker 1: nothing is hopeless. If a man has sincerely repented, will
9:33
Speaker 1: you not come to me this evening? Would your almence
9:36
Speaker 1: receive a man who is guilty of the death of
9:38
Speaker 1: his own son? The question had almost the tone of
9:42
Speaker 1: a challenge. Montonendi shrank and shivered under it, as under
9:45
Speaker 1: a cold wind. God forbid that I should condemn you
9:48
Speaker 1: whatever you have done, he said solemnly. In his sight,
9:52
Speaker 1: we are all guilty alike, and our righteousness is his
9:54
Speaker 1: filthy rags. If you will come to me, I will
9:57
Speaker 1: receive you, as I pray that he may one day
10:00
Speaker 1: receive me. The Gadwy stretched out his hands with a
10:03
Speaker 1: sudden gesture of passion. Listen, he said, and listen, all
10:07
Speaker 1: of you Christians. If a man has killed his only son,
10:10
Speaker 1: his son who loved and trusted him, who was flesh
10:13
Speaker 1: of his flesh and bone of his bone, if he
10:15
Speaker 1: has led his son into a death trap with lies
10:18
Speaker 1: and deceit is there hope for that man and earth
10:20
Speaker 1: through Heaven. I have confessed my sin before God and man,
10:24
Speaker 1: and I have suffered the punishment that men have laid
10:26
Speaker 1: on me, and they have let me go. But when
10:28
Speaker 1: will God say it is enough? What benediction will take
10:32
Speaker 1: away his curse from my soul? What absolution will undo
10:36
Speaker 1: this thing that I have done? In the dead silence
10:40
Speaker 1: that followed the people of Atmontenelli, and saw the heaving
10:43
Speaker 1: of the cross upon his breast, he raised his eyes
10:46
Speaker 1: at last and gave the benediction with a hand that
10:48
Speaker 1: was not quite steady. God is merciful, he said, lay
10:52
Speaker 1: your burden before his throne, For it is written a
10:56
Speaker 1: broken and contrite heart. Shalt thou not despise. He turned
11:00
Speaker 1: away and walked to the market place, stopping everywhere to
11:03
Speaker 1: speak to the people and to take their children in
11:05
Speaker 1: his arms. In the evening, the gadfly, following the directions
11:09
Speaker 1: written on the wrapping of the image, ADUs malade at
11:11
Speaker 1: the appointed meeting place. It was the house of a
11:13
Speaker 1: local doctor who was an active member of the sect.
11:17
Speaker 1: Most of the conspirators were already assembled, and the delight
11:19
Speaker 1: at the Catflie's arrival gave him a new proof if
11:22
Speaker 1: he had needed one of his popularity as a leader.
11:26
Speaker 1: We're glad enough to see you again, said the doctor,
11:28
Speaker 1: but we shall be gladder still to see you go.
11:31
Speaker 1: It's a fearfully risky business, and I, for one, was
11:33
Speaker 1: against the plan. Are you quite shorn? One of those
11:35
Speaker 1: police routes noticed you in the market place this morning.
11:39
Speaker 1: Oh they nn't noticed me enough, but they didn't recognize me.
11:42
Speaker 1: Dominichino m managed the thing capitally. But where is he?
11:46
Speaker 1: I don't see him. He has not come yet, so
11:49
Speaker 1: you've got on all smoothly. Did the cardinal give you
11:52
Speaker 1: his blessing? It's blessing? Oh that's nothing, said Dominicino, coming
11:57
Speaker 1: in at the door. Bervaris you are as full a
11:59
Speaker 1: surprize as Christmas cake? How many more talents are you
12:02
Speaker 1: going to astonish us with? What is it now? Asked
12:06
Speaker 1: the Gadfly languidly. He was leaning back on a sofa
12:09
Speaker 1: smoking a cigar. He still wore his pilgrim's dress, but
12:12
Speaker 1: the white Beard and Wig lay beside him. I had
12:15
Speaker 1: no idea you were such an actor. I never saw
12:17
Speaker 1: a thing done so magnificently in all my life. Near
12:20
Speaker 1: the mood is eminence to tears? How was that? Let
12:25
Speaker 1: us hear we ours. The gaffly shrugged his shoulders. He
12:28
Speaker 1: was in a taciturn and laconic mood, and the others,
12:31
Speaker 1: seeing that nothing was to be gone out of him,
12:33
Speaker 1: appealed to Dominicino to explain when the scene in the
12:37
Speaker 1: market place had been related. One young workman, who had
12:40
Speaker 1: not joined in the laughter of the rest, remarked abruptly,
12:43
Speaker 1: it was very clever, of course, but I don't see
12:44
Speaker 1: what good all this play acting business has done to
12:46
Speaker 1: anybody just this much. The gadfly put in that I
12:50
Speaker 1: can go where I like and do what I like,
12:52
Speaker 1: anywhere in this district, and not a single man, woman
12:55
Speaker 1: or child will ever think of suspecting me. The story
12:58
Speaker 1: will be all over the place by tomorrow, and when
13:00
Speaker 1: I meet a spy he will think it's mad Diego
13:02
Speaker 1: that confessed his sins in the market place. That's an
13:05
Speaker 1: advantage gang, surely, yes, I see. Still, I wish the
13:09
Speaker 1: thing could have been done without fooling the cardinal. He's
13:12
Speaker 1: too good to have that sort of trick played on him,
13:15
Speaker 1: I thought myself. He seemed fairly decent. The Gapflie lazily
13:18
Speaker 1: as sent him nonsense, Sandro. We don't want cardinals here,
13:23
Speaker 1: said the Dominiqino. And if mon Signor Montanelli had taken
13:26
Speaker 1: that post in Rome when he had the chance of
13:27
Speaker 1: getting it, Bravares couldn't have fooled him. He wouldn't take
13:31
Speaker 1: it because he didn't want to leave his work here,
13:34
Speaker 1: more likely because he didn't want to get poisoned off
13:36
Speaker 1: by Lambruschini's agents. They've got something against him. You may
13:40
Speaker 1: depend upon it. When a cardinal, especially such a popular one,
13:44
Speaker 1: prefers to stay in a gothrosaking little hole like this.
13:47
Speaker 1: We all know what that means, don't we. Rivarres the
13:51
Speaker 1: gaffly was making smoke rings. Perhaps it is a chase
13:56
Speaker 1: of a broken and contrite heart, he remarked, leaning his
13:59
Speaker 1: fat back to watch them float away. And now, ma'am,
14:03
Speaker 1: let us get to business. They began to discuss in
14:07
Speaker 1: detail of various plans which had been formed for the
14:09
Speaker 1: smuggling and consualment of weapons. The Gadfly listened with keen attention,
14:14
Speaker 1: interrupting every now and then to correct sharply some inaccurate
14:16
Speaker 1: statement or imprudent proposal. When every one had finished speaking,
14:20
Speaker 1: he made a few practical suggestions, most of which were
14:23
Speaker 1: adopted without discussion. The meeting then broke up. It had
14:27
Speaker 1: been resolved that, at least until he was safely back
14:29
Speaker 1: in Tuscany, very late meetings which might attract the notice
14:32
Speaker 1: of the police, should be avoided. By a little after
14:35
Speaker 1: ten o'clock, all had dispersed except the doctor, the Gadfly,
14:38
Speaker 1: and Dominikino, who remained as a subcommittee for the discussion
14:41
Speaker 1: of special points. After a long and hot dispute, Dominicino
14:45
Speaker 1: looked up at the clock half past eleven. We mustn't
14:49
Speaker 1: stop any longer, or the night watermen may see us.
14:52
Speaker 1: When does he pass, asked the gadfly, about twelve o'clock,
14:56
Speaker 1: and I want to be home before he comes. Good night,
14:58
Speaker 1: geor Donni Bervario. Shall we walk together? No, I think
15:03
Speaker 1: we are safe for a part. Then I shall see
15:05
Speaker 1: you again. Yes, at Castel Boulogne's. I don't know yet
15:09
Speaker 1: what disguise I shall be in, but you have the password.
15:12
Speaker 1: Will leave here tomorrow, I think. The gat fly was
15:15
Speaker 1: carefully putting on his beard and wig before the looking
15:17
Speaker 1: glass tomorrow morning with the pilgrims on the next day,
15:21
Speaker 1: I fall ill and stop behind in a shepherd's hut,
15:23
Speaker 1: and then take a short cut across the hills. I
15:25
Speaker 1: shall be down there before you will. Good Night. Twelve
15:30
Speaker 1: o'clock was striking from the cathedral bell tower as the
15:32
Speaker 1: cat fly looked in at the door of the great
15:34
Speaker 1: empty barn, which had been thrown open as a lodging
15:36
Speaker 1: for the pilgrims. The floor was covered with clumsy figures,
15:40
Speaker 1: most of which were snoring lustily, and the air was
15:42
Speaker 1: insufferably close and foul. He drew back with a little
15:46
Speaker 1: shudder of repugnance. It would be useless to attempt to
15:48
Speaker 1: sleep in there. He would take a walk and then
15:51
Speaker 1: find some shed or haystack, which would at least be
15:53
Speaker 1: clean and quiet. It was a glorious night, with a
15:58
Speaker 1: great full moon gleaming in purple sky. He began to
16:02
Speaker 1: wander through the streets in an aimless way, bringing miserably
16:05
Speaker 1: over the scene of the morning, and wishing that Hayden
16:07
Speaker 1: consented to Dominiquino's plan. It was a glorious night, with
16:11
Speaker 1: a great full moon gleaming in a purple sky. He
16:14
Speaker 1: began to wander through the streets in an aimless way,
16:16
Speaker 1: brooding miserably over the scene of the morning, and wishing
16:19
Speaker 1: that he had never consented to do Mianiquino's plan of
16:21
Speaker 1: holding the meeting at breezy Gala. If at the beginning
16:25
Speaker 1: he had declared the project too dangerous, some other place
16:27
Speaker 1: would have been chosen, and both he and Montenelli would
16:30
Speaker 1: have been spared this ghastly, ridiculous farce. How changed the
16:33
Speaker 1: Padre was, and yet his voice was not changed at all.
16:37
Speaker 1: It was just the same as in the old days,
16:39
Speaker 1: when he used to say Garino the lantern of the
16:43
Speaker 1: night watchman appeared at the other end of the street,
16:45
Speaker 1: and the gadplay turned down a narrow, crooked aley. After
16:48
Speaker 1: walking a few yards, he found himself in a cathedral
16:50
Speaker 1: square close to the left wing of the episcopal Palace.
16:54
Speaker 1: The square was flooded with moonlight and there was no
16:57
Speaker 1: one in sight. But he noticed that a side door
16:59
Speaker 1: of the cathedral was ajar. The sacristan must have forgotten
17:02
Speaker 1: to shut it. Surely nothing could be going on there,
17:04
Speaker 1: so late at night he might as well go in
17:07
Speaker 1: and sleep on one of the benches instead of in
17:08
Speaker 1: the stifling barn. He could slip out in the morning
17:11
Speaker 1: before the sacristan came, and even if anyone did find him,
17:14
Speaker 1: the natural supposition would be that mad Diego had been
17:17
Speaker 1: saying his prayers in some corner and had got shut in.
17:21
Speaker 1: He listened a moment at the door, and then entered
17:23
Speaker 1: with the noiseless step that he had retained notwithstanding his lameness.
17:27
Speaker 1: The moonlight streamed through the windows and lay in broad
17:30
Speaker 1: bands on the marble floor. In the chancel especially, everything
17:34
Speaker 1: was as clearly visible as by daylight. At the foot
17:37
Speaker 1: of the altar steps, Cardinal Montenelli knelt alone bareheaded with
17:41
Speaker 1: clasped hands, Gadfly drew back into the shadow. Should he
17:45
Speaker 1: slip away before Montenelli saw him, that, no doubt, would
17:49
Speaker 1: be the wisest thing to do, perhaps some more merciful.
17:52
Speaker 1: And yet what harm could it do for him to
17:54
Speaker 1: go just a little nearer, to look at the Padre's
17:56
Speaker 1: face once more? Now the crowd was gone, and there
17:59
Speaker 1: was no need keep up the hideous comedy of the morning.
18:02
Speaker 1: Perhaps it would be his last chance, and the Padre
18:05
Speaker 1: need not see him. He would steal up softly and
18:07
Speaker 1: look just this once, then he would go back to
18:11
Speaker 1: his work, keeping in the shadow of the pillars. He
18:13
Speaker 1: crept softly up to the chancel rails and paused at
18:16
Speaker 1: the side entrance, close to the altar. The shadow of
18:19
Speaker 1: the episcopal throne was broad enough to cover him, and
18:22
Speaker 1: he crouched down in the darkness, holding his breath. My
18:25
Speaker 1: poor boy, Oh God, my poor boy. The broken whisper
18:31
Speaker 1: was full of such end must despair that the Gadflies
18:34
Speaker 1: shuddered in spite of himself. Then came deep, heavy, tearless sobs,
18:39
Speaker 1: and he saw Montenei bring his hands together like a
18:41
Speaker 1: man in bodily pain. He had not thought it would
18:45
Speaker 1: be so bad as this. How often had he said
18:47
Speaker 1: to himself, with bitter assurance, I need not trouble about it.
18:51
Speaker 1: That wound was healed long ago. Now, after all these years,
18:55
Speaker 1: it was laid bare before him, and he saw it
18:57
Speaker 1: bleeding still. And how easy it would be to heal it.
19:00
Speaker 1: Now at last he need only lift his hand, only
19:03
Speaker 1: step forward and say, adre is ey. There was Gemma too,
19:08
Speaker 1: with that white streak across her hair. Oh, if he
19:11
Speaker 1: could but forgive, if he could but cut out from
19:13
Speaker 1: his memory the past that was burned in it so deep,
19:16
Speaker 1: the lascart and the sugar plantation, and the variety showed,
19:21
Speaker 1: surely there was no other misery like this. To be
19:23
Speaker 1: willing to forgive, to long to forgive, and to know
19:26
Speaker 1: that it was hopeless that he could not dared not forgive.
19:32
Speaker 1: Montennelli rose at last, made the sign of the cross,
19:35
Speaker 1: and turned away from the altar. The gadflies shrank further
19:38
Speaker 1: back into the shadow, trembling with fear lest he should
19:41
Speaker 1: be seen, lest the very beating of his heart should
19:43
Speaker 1: betray him. Then he drew a long breath of relief.
19:46
Speaker 1: Montonelli had passed him so close that the violet robe
19:50
Speaker 1: had brushed against his cheek, had passed and had not
19:52
Speaker 1: seen him, had not seen him? Oh what had he done?
19:57
Speaker 1: This had been his last chance, this one precious moment,
20:00
Speaker 1: and Hala slipped away. He started up and stepped into
20:03
Speaker 1: the light padrey. The sound of his own voice ringing
20:08
Speaker 1: up and dying the way along the arches of the
20:10
Speaker 1: roof filled him with fantastic terror. He shrank back again
20:14
Speaker 1: as shadowed. Montenelli stood beside the pillar, motionless, listening with
20:19
Speaker 1: wide open eyes, all of the horror of death. How
20:23
Speaker 1: long the silence lasted, the gadflies could not tell might
20:26
Speaker 1: have been an instant or an eternity. He came to
20:29
Speaker 1: his senses with a sudden shock. Montanelli was beginning to sway,
20:33
Speaker 1: as though he would fall, and his lips moved, at
20:35
Speaker 1: first silently, Arthur, the low whisper came at last, Yes,
20:41
Speaker 1: the water is deep, the gad FLI came forward, forgive
20:45
Speaker 1: me your eminence. I thought it was one of the priests. Ah,
20:49
Speaker 1: it is the pilgrim. Montenelli had at once recovered his
20:52
Speaker 1: self control. That the gadfly could see from the restless
20:55
Speaker 1: glitter of the sapphire in his hand that he was
20:57
Speaker 1: still trembling. Are you in need of it a thing?
21:00
Speaker 1: My friend? It is late and the cathedrals closed at night.
21:04
Speaker 1: I beg pardon your eminence if I have done wrong.
21:07
Speaker 1: I saw the door open and came in to pray,
21:09
Speaker 1: And when I saw a priest, as I thought in meditation,
21:12
Speaker 1: I waited to ask a blessing. On this he held
21:15
Speaker 1: up the little tin cross that he had bought from Dominicino.
21:18
Speaker 1: Montonelli took it from his hand, and, re entering the chancel,
21:22
Speaker 1: waid it for a moment on the altar. Take it,
21:26
Speaker 1: my son, he said, and be at rest, for the
21:29
Speaker 1: Lord is tender and pitiful. Go to Rome and ask
21:32
Speaker 1: the blessing of his minister, the Holy Father. Peace be
21:35
Speaker 1: with you. But yet I bent his head to receive
21:38
Speaker 1: the benediction and turned slowly away. Stop, said Montennetti. He
21:44
Speaker 1: was standing with one hand on the chancel rail. When
21:47
Speaker 1: you receive the Holy Eucharistian Rome, he said, pray for
21:51
Speaker 1: one in deep affliction, for one on whose soul the
21:53
Speaker 1: hand of the Lord is heavy. There were almost tears
21:57
Speaker 1: in his voice, and the Gadfli's resolution wavered another instant,
22:00
Speaker 1: and he would have betrayed himself. Then the thought of
22:03
Speaker 1: the variety show came up again, and he remembered, like Jonah,
22:07
Speaker 1: that he did well to be angry. Who am I
22:10
Speaker 1: that he should hear my prayers a leopard an outcast?
22:14
Speaker 1: If I could bring to his throne as your eminence,
22:16
Speaker 1: can the offering of a holy life, of a soul
22:19
Speaker 1: without spot or secret shame? Montenelli turned abruptly away. I
22:25
Speaker 1: have only one offering to give, he said, a broken heart.
22:30
Speaker 1: A few days later, the gatfly returned to Florence in
22:32
Speaker 1: the diligence from the Pistoja. He went straight to Jemma's lodgings,
22:36
Speaker 1: but she was out, leaving a message that he would
22:39
Speaker 1: return in the morning. He went home, sincerely, hoping that
22:42
Speaker 1: he should not again find his study invaded by Zita.
22:45
Speaker 1: Her jealous reproaches would act on his nerves if he
22:48
Speaker 1: were to hear much of them to night, like the
22:49
Speaker 1: rasping of a dentist's While good evening Ianca, he said,
22:54
Speaker 1: when the maid servant opened the door, has Madame Reni
22:57
Speaker 1: been here to day? She stared at him blank me,
23:00
Speaker 1: Madam Rennie, has she come back? Then? Sir? What do
23:04
Speaker 1: you mean? He asked, with a frow and stopping short
23:06
Speaker 1: on the map. She went away quite suddenly, just after
23:09
Speaker 1: you did, and left all her things behind her. She
23:12
Speaker 1: never so much as said she was going just after
23:15
Speaker 1: I did. What a f fortnight ago, Yes, sir, the
23:18
Speaker 1: same day, and her things are lying about highlydy piglidy.
23:22
Speaker 1: All the neighbors are talking about it. He turned away
23:25
Speaker 1: from the doorstep without speaking, and went hastily down the
23:27
Speaker 1: lane to the house where Sita had been lodging. In
23:30
Speaker 1: her rooms. Nothing had been touched. All the presents that
23:33
Speaker 1: he had given her were in their usual places. There
23:35
Speaker 1: was no letter or scrap of rating anywhere. If you please, sir,
23:39
Speaker 1: said Bianca, putting her head in at the door, there's
23:42
Speaker 1: an old woman. He turned round fiercely. What do you
23:45
Speaker 1: want here? Following me about an old woman wishes to
23:48
Speaker 1: see you. What does she want? Tell her? I can't
23:51
Speaker 1: see her. I'm busy. She has been coming nearly every
23:54
Speaker 1: evening since he went away, sir, always asking when you
23:56
Speaker 1: would come back, ask her what her businesses. No, never mind,
24:00
Speaker 1: I suppose I must go myself. The old woman was
24:04
Speaker 1: waiting at his hall door. She was very poorly dressed,
24:07
Speaker 1: with a face as brown and wrinkled as a meddler,
24:09
Speaker 1: and a bright colored scarf twisted round her head. As
24:12
Speaker 1: he came in, she rose and looked at him with
24:14
Speaker 1: keen black eyes. You are the lame gentlemen, she said,
24:18
Speaker 1: inspecting him critically from head to foot. I have brought
24:21
Speaker 1: you a message from Zita Rennie. He opened the study
24:24
Speaker 1: door and helped for her to pass in, then followed
24:26
Speaker 1: her and shut the door that Bianca might not hear.
24:30
Speaker 1: Said down, please, n now tell me who you are.
24:34
Speaker 1: It's no business of yours who I am. I have
24:36
Speaker 1: come to tell you that Zita Rennie has gone away
24:38
Speaker 1: with my son, with your son. Yes, sir, if you
24:43
Speaker 1: don't know how to keep your mistress when you've got her,
24:46
Speaker 1: you can't complain if other men take her. My son
24:48
Speaker 1: has blood in his veins, not milk and water. He
24:50
Speaker 1: comes of the Romany folk. Ah, you are a gipsy.
24:54
Speaker 1: Zita has going back to her own people. Then she
24:57
Speaker 1: looked at him in amazed contempt. Apparently these Christians had
25:00
Speaker 1: not even manhood enough to be angry when they were insulted.
25:04
Speaker 1: What sort of stuff are you made of that she
25:06
Speaker 1: should stay with you? Our women may lend themselves to
25:09
Speaker 1: you a bit for a girl's fancy, or if you
25:11
Speaker 1: pay them well. But that all many blood comes back
25:14
Speaker 1: to that Almeny folk. The Gatlie's face remained as cold
25:18
Speaker 1: and steady as before. Has she gone away with a
25:21
Speaker 1: gipsy camp or merely to live with your son? The
25:24
Speaker 1: woman burst out, laughing, Do you think of following her
25:27
Speaker 1: and trying to win her back? It's too late, sir.
25:30
Speaker 1: You should have thought of that before. No. I only
25:34
Speaker 1: want to know the truth, if you will tell it
25:35
Speaker 1: to me. She shrugged her shoulders. It was heartly worth
25:39
Speaker 1: while to abuse a person who took it so meekly.
25:42
Speaker 1: The truth, then, is that she met my son in
25:44
Speaker 1: the road the day you left her, and spoke to
25:46
Speaker 1: him in that Almeny tongue, And when he saw she
25:49
Speaker 1: was one of our folk, in spite of her fine clothes,
25:51
Speaker 1: he fell in love with her bonny face as our
25:53
Speaker 1: men fall in love, and took her to our camp.
25:56
Speaker 1: She told us all her trouble and sat crying and
25:58
Speaker 1: sobbing poor Lassie, till our hearts were sore for her.
26:02
Speaker 1: Be comforted her as best we could, and at last
26:04
Speaker 1: she took off her fine clothes and put on the
26:06
Speaker 1: things our lasses wear, and gave herself to my son
26:09
Speaker 1: to be his woman and to have him for her. Man.
26:12
Speaker 1: He won't say to her, I don't love you, and
26:13
Speaker 1: I've other things to do. When a woman is as young,
26:16
Speaker 1: she wants a man. And what sort of man are
26:19
Speaker 1: you that you can't even kiss a handsome girl when
26:21
Speaker 1: she puts her arms round your neck, you said, He interrupted,
26:25
Speaker 1: that you had brought me a message from her. Yes,
26:28
Speaker 1: I stopped behind at the camp went on so as
26:30
Speaker 1: to give it. She told me to say that she
26:32
Speaker 1: had enough of your folk and their hair splitting and
26:34
Speaker 1: their sluggish blood, and that she wants to get back
26:37
Speaker 1: to her own people and be free. Tell him, she said,
26:40
Speaker 1: that I am a woman, and that I loved him,
26:42
Speaker 1: and that is why I would not be his harlote
26:44
Speaker 1: any longer. The lassie was right to come away. There's
26:47
Speaker 1: no harm in a girl getting a bit of money
26:49
Speaker 1: out of her good looks if she can. That's what
26:51
Speaker 1: good looks are for. But a round me lass has
26:54
Speaker 1: nothing to do with loving a man of your race.
26:57
Speaker 1: Gad By stood up. Is that all the message? He said? Then?
27:00
Speaker 1: Tell her please, that I think she had done right,
27:02
Speaker 1: and that I hope she will be happy. That is
27:04
Speaker 1: all I have to say. Good night. He stood perfectly
27:08
Speaker 1: still until the garden gate closed behind her. Then he
27:11
Speaker 1: sat down and covered his face with both hands, another
27:14
Speaker 1: blow on the cheek. It was no rag of pride
27:17
Speaker 1: to be left him, no shred of self respect. Surely
27:20
Speaker 1: he had suffered everything the man can endure. His very
27:23
Speaker 1: heart had been dragged in the mud and trampled under
27:25
Speaker 1: the feet of the passers by. There was no spot
27:28
Speaker 1: in his soul where some one's contempt was not branded,
27:30
Speaker 1: in where someone's mockery had not left its iron trace.
27:34
Speaker 1: And now this gipsy girl, whom he had picked up
27:36
Speaker 1: by the wayside, even she had the whip in her hand.
27:40
Speaker 1: Shaytan lined at the door, and the gatfly rose to
27:42
Speaker 1: let him in. The dog rushed up to his master
27:45
Speaker 1: with his usual frantic manifestations of delight, but soon understanding
27:49
Speaker 1: that something was wrong, lay down on the rug beside
27:52
Speaker 1: him and thrust a cold nose into the listless hand.
27:56
Speaker 1: An hour later, Jemma came up to the front door.
27:59
Speaker 1: No one appeared in answer to her knock. Bianka, finding
28:02
Speaker 1: that the Gadfli did not want any dinner. Had slipped
28:04
Speaker 1: out to visit a neighbor's cook. She had left the
28:07
Speaker 1: door open and a light burning in the hall. Gemma,
28:10
Speaker 1: after waiting for some time, decided to enter and try
28:13
Speaker 1: she could find the Gadfly as she wished to speak
28:15
Speaker 1: to him about an important message which had come from Bailey.
28:18
Speaker 1: She knocked at the study door, and the Gadfie's voice
28:21
Speaker 1: answered from within, you can go away, Bianca, I don't
28:24
Speaker 1: want anything. She softly opened the door. The room was
28:29
Speaker 1: quite dark, but the passage lamp threw a long stream
28:31
Speaker 1: of light across it. As she entered, and she saw
28:34
Speaker 1: the Gadli sitting alone, his head sunk on his breast,
28:37
Speaker 1: and the dog asleep at his feet. It is I,
28:40
Speaker 1: she said, He started up, Gemma, Gemma, oh, I have
28:45
Speaker 1: wanted you so Before she could speak, he was kneeling
28:48
Speaker 1: on the floor at her feet and hiding his face
28:51
Speaker 1: in the folds of her dress. His whole body was
28:53
Speaker 1: shaking with a convulsive tremor that was worse to see
28:56
Speaker 1: than tears. She stood still. There was nothing she could
29:00
Speaker 1: do to help him. Nothing. This was the bitterest thing
29:03
Speaker 1: of all. She must stand by and look on passively,
29:06
Speaker 1: She who would have died to spare him pain? Could
29:09
Speaker 1: she but dare to stoop and clasp her arms about him,
29:12
Speaker 1: to hold him close against her heart and shield him,
29:15
Speaker 1: were it with her own body from all further harm
29:18
Speaker 1: or wrong? Surely then he would be Arthur to her again.
29:21
Speaker 1: Surely then the day would break and the shadows way away.
29:24
Speaker 1: Ah No, no, how could he ever forget? Was it
29:28
Speaker 1: not she who had cast him into hell? She with
29:30
Speaker 1: her own right hand, she had let the moment sloop by.
29:35
Speaker 1: He rose hastily and sat down by the table, covering
29:37
Speaker 1: his eyes with one hand and biting his lip as
29:39
Speaker 1: if he would bite it through. Presently, he looked up
29:42
Speaker 1: and said, quietly, I am afraid I startled you. She
29:46
Speaker 1: held out both her hands to him. Dear, she said,
29:50
Speaker 1: are we not friends enough by now for you to
29:52
Speaker 1: trust me a little bit? What is it? Only a
29:56
Speaker 1: private trouble of my own? I don't see why you
29:58
Speaker 1: should be worried over it. Listen a moment she went on,
30:02
Speaker 1: taking his hand in both of hers to steady its
30:04
Speaker 1: kinvols of trembling. I have not tried to lay hands
30:07
Speaker 1: on a thing that is not mine to touch. But
30:09
Speaker 1: now that you have given me of your own free will,
30:11
Speaker 1: so much of your confidence. Will you not give me
30:13
Speaker 1: a little more, as you would do if I were
30:15
Speaker 1: your sister. Keep the mask on your face if it
30:19
Speaker 1: is any consolation to you, but don't wear a mask
30:21
Speaker 1: on your soul. For your own sake. He bent his
30:24
Speaker 1: head lower. You must be patient with me, he said.
30:28
Speaker 1: I am an unsatisfactory sort of brother to have. I'm afraid,
30:31
Speaker 1: but if you only knew, I have been nearly mad
30:34
Speaker 1: this last week. It has been like South America again,
30:37
Speaker 1: And somehow the devil gets into me and he broke off.
30:42
Speaker 1: May I not have my share in your trouble? She whispered.
30:45
Speaker 1: At last, his head sank down on her arm. The
30:48
Speaker 1: hand of the Lord is heavy. End of chapter eleven
30:52
Speaker 1: of the second part. Recording by Darya Labutina