We took leave of Manlio at the moment when Gianni had delivered his
master's message. The sculptor acceded to the Cardinal's request, and,
after an interview with him, proceeded to execute the order for the
statuettes. For some days nothing occurred to excite suspicion, and
things seemed to be going on smoothly enough. From the room which Gianni
had hired Cencio watched the artist incessantly, all the while carefully
maturing his plot. At last, one evening, when our sculptor was hard at
work, Cencio broke into the studio, exclaiming excitedly, "For the love
of God, permit me to remain here a little while! I am pursued by the
police, who wish to arrest me. I assure you I am guilty of no crime,
except that of being a liberal, and of having declared, in a moment
of anger, that the overthrow of the Republic by the French was an
assassination." So saying, Cencio made as though to conceal himself
behind some statuary.
"These are hard times," soliloquized Manlio, "and little confidence can
be placed in any body; yet, how can I drive out one compromised by his
political opinions only--thereby, perhaps, adding to the number of those
unfortunates now lingering in the priests' prisons? He looks a decent
fellow, and would have a better chance of effecting his escape if he
remained here till nightfall. Yes! he shall stay." Manlio, therefore,
rose, and, beckoning to the supposed fugitive, bade him follow to the
end of the studio, where he secreted him carefully behind some massive
blocks of marble, little dreaming that he harbored a traitor.
Manlio had scarcely resumed his occupation before a patrol stopped
before the door and demanded permission to make a domiciliary visit, as
a suspected person had been seen to enter the house.
Poor Manlio endeavored to put aside the suspicions of the officer, so
far as he could do so without compromising his veracity, and, little
divining the trap into which he had fallen, attempted to lead him in a
direction opposite to that in which the crafty Cencio had taken refuge.
The patrol, being in league with Cencio, felt, of course, quite certain
of his presence on the premises, but some few minutes elapsed before
he succeeded in discovering the carefully-chosen hiding-place; and the
interval would have been longer had not Cencio stealthily put out his
hand and pulled him, the sbirro, gently by the coat as he passed.
The functionary paused suddenly, exclaiming with an affected tone of
triumph, "Ah! I have you!" then, turning upon Manlio, he seized the
artist by the collar, saying, in the sternest of tones, "you must
accompany me forthwith to the tribunal, and account for your crime in
giving shelter to this miscreant, who is in open rebellion against the
government of his Holiness."
Manlio, utterly beside himself, in the first burst of indignation, cast
his eye around among the chisels, hammers, and other tools for something
suitable with which to crack the skull of his insulter; but at this
moment his wife, followed by the lovely Clelia, rushed into the
apartment to ascertain the cause of so unwonted a disturbance. They
trembled at the sight of their beloved one in the grasp of the hated
police-officer, who cunningly relaxed his hold, and said, in a very
different voice, as soon as he perceived them, "Be of courage, signor,
and console these good ladies; your presence will be needed for a short
time only. A few questions will be asked, to which undoubtedly you can
give satisfactory replies."
In vain did the terrified women expostulate. Finding their tears and
remonstrances of no avail, they reluctantly let go their hold of the
unhappy Manlio, whom they had clasped in their terror. He, disdaining
any appeal to the courtesy of such a scoundrel as he knew the patrol to
be, waved them an adieu, and departed with a dignified air.