'Brutus is none the less indispensable.'
'I do not gainsay it, master.'
'What! you do not? Then there, at least, we are agreed. Wilt have him
come here?'
'Who is he, this Brutus? I grope in the dark--O my God, in the dark!'
During all this time the two women had remained passive and apparently
apathetic listeners. Now, suddenly, the girl rose from her place by the
chimney and came heavily forward, her eyes glaring, her hands clenched
in woe, like some incarnated, fallen pythoness.
'Tell _me_,' she said hoarsely. 'I haven't _his_ patience for my
wrongs, nor caution neither. What's gained by caution when one stands
on an earthquake? Let me make sure of _him_, my fine lover, and the
world may fall in, for all I care.'
The pale mother hurried to her husband's side. He put out helpless,
irresolute hands, with a groan. Montano stooping, elbow on knee, and
rubbing his bristly chin, conned the speaker with sinister approval.
'Spoken like a Roman,' said he. 'Thou art the better vessel. If all
were as you! Tyranny is hatched of the gross corpse of manliness--a
beastly fly. Wilt tell thee my Brutus's name, girl, if thou wilt answer
for these.'
He pointed peremptorily at her parents.
'Ay, will I,' she answered scornfully; 'though I have to wrench out
their tongues first.'
He applauded shrilly, with a triumphant, contemptuous glance at the
cowering couple.
'That is the right way with cowards. I commit my Brutus to thee. 'Tis
a threefold dog, as I have said--a fanged Cerberus. Noble, too--as
Roman as thou; and, in one part at least, like wounded. He, this third
part, this Carlo Visconti, had a sister. Well, she was a flower which
Galeazzo plucked; and, not content therewith threw into the common road.
Another head is Lampugnani, beggared by the Sforzas; and Girolamo
Olgiati is my third, a dear beardless boy, and instigated only by the
noblest love of liberty.'
The girl nodded.
'And are these all?'
'All, save a fellow called Narcisso--a mere instrument to use and
break--no principles but hate and gain. Was servant to that bully Lanti
and dismissed--hum! for excess of loyalty. Fear him not.'
'Alas!' broke in the armourer: 'why should we fear him or anybody?
There is no harm in this letting my shop to be thy school's
succedaneum.'
Lucia laughed like a fury.
'No harm at all,' sniggered Montano, 'save in these heresies I spoke of.
And what are they?--to reorganise society on a basis of political and
social freedom. No harm in these young Catalines discussing their
drastic remedies, perhaps in the vanity of a hope that some Sallust may
be found to record them.'
'Nay, have done with all this,' cried the girl witheringly. 'I know
nothing of your Catalines and Sallusts. Ye meet to kill--own it, or ye
meet elsewhere.'