There is no more mysterious, and no more misrepresented society than the
Camorra. I never understood its nature or its objects until I heard
Stromboli's story. He went to Naples and discovered the Camorra. He
investigated it and found out exactly what manner of society it was.
But let him tell the story in his own words:--
"I had no sooner come to Naples," he said, "than the Camorra forced
itself upon my notice. Even as I landed from the steamer, I observed
the boatman who had brought ashore my modest luggage surreptitiously
slipping a small coin into the hand of a stalwart bystander, gaudily
attired in the costume that one associates with brigandage, who had all
the air of accepting it, not as an alms, but his due. My watchful
curiosity was at once excited.
"'Who is that man, then?' I asked the sailor curtly.
"'It is the Camorrista, signor--it is the Camorra man, sir,' he
answered, in matter-of-fact tones, as he lifted my luggage into a
carriage.
"I began to wonder.
"My carriage rattled over the stones and set me down in my hotel.
Another stalwart individual was waiting there. He, too, was an
ornamental person; he wore wide velvet breeches with gold lace upon
them, a loose white shirt, a red sash, and a gaudy silk handkerchief
knotted over his head. And he, too, reached out his hand to claim a
coin which my driver dropped into his palm.
"'Who is that man?' I asked again, and got the same answer as before--
"'It is the Camorrista, signor--it is the Camorra man.'
"'And why do you give him money?' I inquired further.
"'Because he demands it, signor,' the man replied; and he jumped on to
his box and drove away before I had time to pursue the subject any
further.
"I went on wondering.
"Evidently this was a strange country to which I had come--a country in
which you had only to demand money in the name of a mysterious society
in order to obtain it. Would people also give money to me, in case of
need, if I also dressed gaudily and stepped forward with a bold address,
saying 'I am the Camorra man'? The question furnished food for thought.
"'To-morrow,' I said to myself, 'I will investigate this matter. In the
meantime, I will dismiss it from my mind, and dine.'
"I ceased wondering, therefore, and ate my dinner, and strolled out into
the city to divert myself.
"My diversion took the form of a game of billiards in a _cafe_, which
was not, I must admit, one of the most fashionable _cafes_ in the city.
It was, in fact, a _cafe_ in the dark and narrow street known as the Tre
Capelle--the street of the Three Hats. There was a better opportunity
of observing the life of the people there than in the more fashionable
quarters.
"But I did not merely observe the life of the people. I also won the
people's money. My skill at billiards was not, in those days,
inconsiderable. In several successive games I was the victor, and each
game was played for a higher stake than the game preceding it.
Altogether, perhaps, I won enough to pay my hotel bill for a week. Then
I pocketed my profits and bade the company a courteous 'Good evening.'
"'_Addio!_' I said, waving my broad-brimmed hat and smiling; and then
took my umbrella--for it had been raining--and stepped jauntily into the
street.
"Hardly had I gone half-a-dozen steps when a stranger stepped out of the
shadow and approached me.
"The street was dimly lighted with oil lamps, and I could not see him
well, but I saw that he, too, was gaudy and robust. His small round
felt hat had cocks' feathers in it, and he wore earrings which glittered
in the lamplight. He brandished a cudgel in his right hand, while his
left was extended like a mendicant's.
"'Our share, signor?' he asked peremptorily, if not quite truculently.
"'Whose share? And whom may I have the honour of addressing?' I
retorted with no less determination.
"'_Il Camorrista_--the Camorra man,' he rejoined, in just such accents
as he might have used had he been able to announce himself as the
policeman on duty in the neighbourhood.
"A sudden curiosity seized me. How would this imperious man behave, I
wondered, if I were to prod him quite suddenly and very violently in the
pit of the stomach with the point of my umbrella? It seemed an
interesting experiment, and one well worth trying.
"'Here, take your share!' I cried, and lunged at him with the skill and
rapidity of one accustomed to the foils.
"My eye and aim were sure, and the result was satisfactory. The ferrule
struck my antagonist just beneath the breast-bone--at that sensitive
point, in fact, which your prizefighters always aim at.
"He uttered a cry of pain, staggered, doubled up, and fell in a heap
upon the ground.
"'_Addio, Camorrista_--farewell, Camorra man,' I said, and strode away
with dignity, to the amazement and admiration of the onlookers.
"But my experience had interested me. I felt that I had lighted upon a
mystery, and I was resolved to probe it to the bottom. To that end I
rang my bedroom bell the next morning and put a question to the
chambermaid who answered it.
"'Tell me, Lucia, what is the Camorra?'
"She stared at me as blankly as though I had requested her to define
space or time.
"'What is the Camorra, signor? The Camorra, signor--it is the Camorra,'
she replied.
"It was an inadequate explanation, but I thought I might succeed better
if I tried a gentler method. So I kissed her and took her hand
caressingly.
"'_Voyons_, sweetheart!' I said. 'There is no need for you to be
afraid. I will protect you. Tell me everything that you know about
this Camorra.'
"To my amazement, she snatched her hand away and ran screaming down the
corridor.
"I changed my tone.
"'_Voyons_, baby! Send up the landlord to me!' I shouted after her.
"He came with the indignant air of a man whose establishment I had
outraged by the commission of an impropriety; but I received him with an
indignation equal to his own.
"'_Voyons_, landlord!' I exclaimed. 'What is the meaning of all this?
Is this house a lunatic asylum?'
"He replied that it was nothing of the kind.
"'It is because my house is not a lunatic asylum,' he added, 'that I
invite the signor to leave it without delay.'
"It was natural that I should express myself strongly.
"'Leave your house!' I said. 'Neither your manners nor your macaronis
tempt me to make a long stay in it. But before I go, I must have an
answer to a question. I insist. Attend!'
"He glared, as though knowing that the question would be an awkward one.
I met his gaze and put the question firmly.
"'What I want to know is this: What is the Camorra? Why have I been
invited--unceremoniously and with menaces--to subscribe to it? To what
purpose would my subscription have been devoted had I paid it instead of
felling the agent of the society--the collector of its tribute--with an
unexpected blow?'
"But I did not get the plain answer to the plain question which I
thought I had a right to. Nor did I get admiration for my courageous
feat of arms. My landlord's face expressed only amazement and dismay.
He threw up his arms with the gesture of a man abandoning hope.
"'The signor struck the Camorrista?'
"'I have already told you that I struck him with great force, to the
astonishment of the spectators. I left him in the gutter of the street
of----'
"'Then the life of the signor is in peril, and my life also. The
vengeance of the Camorra----'
"'What is this Camorra, then?' I interrupted.
"'The Camorra is----"
"'Well?'
"'The Camorra is the Camorra. It is forbidden to say more.'
"'But I command you to say more.'
"My tone--perhaps my movements also--implied a vague threat of violence.
But the landlord did not wait for me to lay hands on him. He fled, as
the chambermaid had fled; but he slammed the door after him and turned
the key and locked me in. Then he called through the key-hole--
"'Will the signor forgive me? It is the only way. I will arrange for
the signor's safety before the Camorra----'
"I heard no more, for I was hanging on to the knob, rattling the door,
and kicking at the panels.
"They would not yield, being solid, as though built in the old days when
any house might be required at any time to stand a siege. I assailed
the door, first with a chair, and then with a wash-hand jug, with no
result except that I broke both of them. Then I sat down and reflected.
My window was on the fourth floor and looked on the hotel courtyard, so
that escape in that direction was impossible. But there still remained
one other plan. I had my revolver.
[Illustration: "I assailed the door, first with a chair."]
"'Stand clear there, everybody, while I shoot!' I called through the
key-hole; and then I pulled the trigger and blew away the lock.
"In the silence which followed the report I heard the tramp of heavy
footsteps in the corridor. Still gripping the smoking weapon, I stepped
outside to receive my visitors.
"Imagine my surprise when I saw that they were policemen, and that my
landlord was guiding them to my apartment, carrying the key. His
language was polite, however, and he offered an explanation.
"'It is arranged,' he said. 'If the signor will be so kind as to pay
his bill, these gentlemen will afford the signor the protection that is
necessary for him.'
"'And the Camorra?' I asked.
"'Hush!' he replied, lifting both his hand to enjoin silence.
"So I paid my bill and accompanied my police escort, trying to think
more kindly of my landlord.
"'The good man means well," I said to myself. 'He fears lest I should
be assassinated by this terrible and all-pervading society. He procures
me police protection. I will write to him and say that it was quite
unnecessary, but that I am nevertheless obliged to him.' Then, as we
got out into the street, I proceeded to enter into conversation with my
escort.
"'_Voyons!_' I said to them. 'You, at least, my friends, will be able
to give me some information about this mysterious Camorra.'
"'Silence!' in authoritative accents was the only answer that I got.
"'Have a glass of wine with me, then, before we go any further,' I
suggested.
"They agreed to that, and sat round me outside a _cafe_ and drank at my
expense; but the refreshment did not make them much more communicative.
The Camorra was the Camorra. It was secret; it was powerful. It helped
its friends, and punished its enemies without mercy. The people who did
not belong to it had to pay tribute to those who did. That was all the
information I could get. "'It must be a society that works for the
revolution,' I suggested.
"'Silence!' came the answer again, in accents half savage and half
scared; and we left the _cafe_ and marched on.
"It occurred to me that we had gone far enough, and that I did not need
police protection any longer. I said so, adding:
"'Where are you taking me, my friends? To the railway-station, or to the
steamboat?'
"They laughed. It is not often that a policeman laughs, but these
policemen laughed like countrymen at the theatre seeing their first
farce.
"'Where are we taking you?' they cackled, with horrible grimaces.
"'Precisely. That is my question?'
"'Well, to the prison, of course. Where else?'
"'To the prison, indeed! But I am under police protection!'
"They roared with laughter.
"'Under police protection! It is a way of putting it, when one has a
light heart and loves a joke.'
"'A joke'?"
"'Certainly, seeing that you are under arrest.'
"'On what charge?'
"They shrugged their shoulders like one man.
"'Who knows? There may be a charge; there may be none. It may be
sustained; it may break down. Who knows?"
"'Do you mean to tell me that at Naples a stranger may be arrested----'
"'Obviously.'
"'With no more ceremony than if he were being asked to dinner? I do not
believe it. There is some mystery here. The Camorra----'
"'Silence!'
"'The Camorra is at the bottom of this. The Camorra and the landlord are
in a conspiracy against me----'
"'It is possible. We have no information on the subject.'
"'But I will resist their machinations. I will confound them. I will
probe the mystery to the bottom. I am Jean Antoine----'
"'It is possible--we have no information. But here is the prison.'
"Resistance was out of the question. It seemed likely, indeed, that I
should be safer in the prison than outside it. There, at least, I might
find some intelligent person who would listen to my explanation; there,
at least, I should have respite from the attentions of the Camorra, and
a plain answer to a civil question.
"Patience!" I said to myself, as the great gate clanged behind me; and
it soon became evident that I should have need of patience. For this
Neapolitan prison was quite different from any other prison that I had
ever been confined in.
"There was no ceremonious reception of new-comers by the authorities;
they did not even trouble to ask who one was.
"There was no privacy. Separate cells were only provided for prisoners
condemned to death--a heavy price to pay for such a privilege. For the
rest, the inmates were herded together in great courtyards, with no
distinction between those convicted and those awaiting trial, and no
one, so far as I could see, to supervise their conduct. It was, as it
were, a republic of evil-doers in which I was turned loose to take my
chance and find my level.
"'There are your quarters. Soup and macaroni are served out twice
daily. The other prisoners will tell you where you can sleep,' said the
gaoler curtly.
"'But I demand to know----' I protested.
"'Silence! Don't bother me with your foolish questions,' he replied,
and slammed a door and disappeared.
"So I got no satisfaction from him, and my heart sank within me. A
period of _ennui_--a term of weary waiting, with discomfort but without
excitement--that seemed to be the fate in store for me. But once
more--so far, at least, as the excitement was concerned--I was mistaken.
A fellow prisoner provided me with immediate excitement.
"He was tall, lithe, masterful in demeanour. He approached me, like the
man whom I had prodded in the stomach after my game of billiards, with
one hand extended for a donation, and the other brandishing a cudgel.
"'The due?' he demanded curtly.
"'What due?' I asked calmly.
"'To buy oil for the lamp of the Madonna.'
"It was a formula, though I did not know it. But I was not, as you may
suppose, in a conciliatory temper. I drew myself up haughtily and said:
'My good man, I was not aware that I had the pleasure of your
acquaintance.'
"He introduced himself.
"'_Io sono il Camorrista_--I am the Camorra man.'
"It was a blow to me. Were my footsteps to be dogged there, even in
prison, by the representatives of this mysterious society? It seemed so.
Yet, in a sense, I was glad to meet it there. It was a chance of
solving the perplexing mystery, and I determined to solve it, even at
the risk of a temporary misunderstanding.
"I fixed my eyes on the man, showing that I was ready to defend myself,
and spoke to him seriously.
"'_Voyons!_' I said to him. 'The last Camorra man who was rude to me is
now suffering from a pain in the pit of the stomach, and he wasn't
either so rude or so ugly as you are.'
"'_Corpo di Baccho!_' the man exclaimed, making as though he would
strike me, yet hesitating before my determined attitude.
"'But let us be reasonable,' I continued. 'Let me make a proposal to
you.'
"'Speak!'
"'Ever since my arrival at Naples, I have been curious to know what your
Camorra is, and what it does with the money which it collects with such
systematic industry. If you will tell me, I will give you a piece of
gold; and if you do not tell me, I will give you nothing.'
"Would he have yielded if we had been alone? I cannot say. A knot of
our fellow prisoners had gathered round us, and his pride was at stake.
"'Silence! You have not to ask questions, but to pay.'
"My temper was roused, and I resolved to precipitate the crisis. I
flung a piece of gold--part of my winnings at the billiard-table--on the
ground, and challenged him.
"'_Voyons!_' I cried. 'No one shall say that Jean Antoine Stromboli
Kosnapulski is mean. There is your money, and I will fight you for it.'
"A fierce cry of approval went up from the bystanders.
"'A duel! A duel!' they exclaimed in chorus, and the representative of
the Camorra--to do him justice--did not shrink from the encounter.
"'Antonio!' he called to a companion, 'fetch knives!' And I made the
strange discovery that, in a Neapolitan prison, the prisoners were
allowed to borrow knives for the settlement of their affairs of honour.
"But I would not have a knife. It is a weapon in the use of which I
have had little practice.
"'No, no!' I cried. 'I will take no unfair advantage of you. It shall
be your knife against my umbrella. Does that seem fair to you?'
"He seemed to hesitate, as one who dreads an unfamiliar danger; but the
public opinion of the prison was in favour of my proposal. It had
novelty; it promised strange spectacular effects calculated to relieve
the tedium of prison life. So my opponent found it impossible to
refuse.
"'As you prefer,' he said; and seconds were appointed and a space was
cleared. At the given word, we advanced to meet each other from
opposite corners of the court-yard.
"Do not ask me for details of the combat! I am not vain. Therefore I
will not dwell upon them at undue length.
"It was like this. The Camorrista at first advanced stealthily, with
long, catlike strides; and I on my part advanced firmly, holding myself
upright, like a master of fencing of the French rather than the Italian
school. Then the Camorrista launched himself upon me like the greyhound
bounding upon the hare. I saw his purpose--to grip the stick of my
weapon with his left hand while he lunged with the right with a quick,
simultaneous movement. As he seized it, I thrust at him, taking a quick
pace to the right as I did so. He fumbled and was delayed for half a
second, and the delay gave me my chance. As soon as my right foot was
planted on the ground, I launched the _coup de savate_ with my left.
Before he could swing the knife round, and at the moment when he was
bending slightly forward, the blow caught him in that same point beneath
the breast bone in which my antagonist of the previous evening had been
wounded.
[Illustration: "As soon as my right foot was planted on the ground, I
launched the _coup de savate_ with my left."]
"The knife dropped from his grasp. He fell moaning and helpless. It
was over. I was victorious; and I pointed with my umbrella at my
opponent where he lay.
"'_Voyons_, gentlemen! The coin remains my property, I think,' I said,
picking it up and replacing it in my pocket.
"'If any other gentleman desires to do battle similarly for the
Madonna's oil,' I continued, but none came forward. On the contrary,
they cheered me as the ancient Romans, of whom you have heard, might
have cheered a triumphant gladiator.
"'I thank you, gentlemen,' I said, bowing with dignity, and walked away.
"But my triumph was to have a consequence which I did not foresee. For
the remainder of the day my mind was not entirely easy. Some of my
fellow prisoners were whispering together in a manner that did not tend
to reassure me. My antagonist had partially recovered and was the
centre of mysterious conclaves. There seemed reason to fear that an
advantage would be taken of me while I slept--some act of violence done
to me in the dark.
"'_Voyons!_' I said to myself. 'I cannot keep awake every night; but
this night it is necessary that I should watch and see what happens.'
"Nor had I long to wait before I saw something to justify my fears. The
very man whom I had discomfited in the morning was creeping stealthily
towards me along the dormitory floor, where I lay stretched, as all the
others were, upon a poor, hard mattress. I waited until he had got quite
close to me, and then suddenly sat bolt upright, with my hand on my
umbrella, prepared to strike with it. But there was no need to strike.
"'Hush!' the man whispered. 'You proved yourself this morning. I now
come to you as a friend. I bring you these.'
"Imagine my surprise when I saw him gently place a small handful of
small coins upon my bed.
"'What does this mean, then?' I whispered in reply, still watching and
suspecting treachery.
"'It is your share.'
"'My share of what?'
"'Of the _barattolo_--of the funds that we collect.'
"'But----'
"'It is offered as a token that we wish you to be one of us.'
"'One of you? One of the Camorra?'
"'Precisely. It is the rule, when a man has proved himself, that he
shall be invited to be one of us.'
"It really seemed as though my chance had come to get an answer to my
question. I reached out my hand in sign of amity and asked it.
"'Speak to me as a friend, then. Excuse my ignorance, and tell me what
is this Camorra which I am asked to join.'
"But I was once more put off.
"'Hush! It is the rule only to inform the companions by degrees.'
"'But you might at least begin informing me?'
"'Yes, I may tell you something. It is a society--secret and powerful.
Those who do not love it, fear it. It has influence everywhere. It
brought you here. It will arrange you your release to-morrow, by
withdrawing the charge against you. A companion will meet you at the
prison gate. Do as he bids you.'
"'But the object of the society? The purposes to which it devotes the
great sums of money which----'
"'Hush! It is of that that I must not inform you yet. You know, at
least, that it is better to be the friend of the Camorra than its
enemy.'
"And that, at any rate, was clearly true. Can you blame me if, knowing
that, and desiring my release, I agreed to join the society even without
a full knowledge of its objects? Can you blame me if I further felt
that loyalty bound me to be obedient to the behests of the companion who
was to await me at the gate? This time I had to do with a Camorrista
dressed as a gentleman.
"'You are the new companion?' he asked me, when I came out.
"'I am the new companion, Jean Antoine Stromboli Kosnapulski,' I
replied.
"'I was expecting you,' he said.
"'It is very kind of you,' I answered. 'Perhaps you will add to your
kindness by informing me what are the political objects of this
interesting society in which I have enrolled myself.'
"'Hush!' he said. 'At present I am only permitted to inform you of the
duties which you are to discharge.'
"'Your behaviour strikes me as very equivocal,' I protested.
"But he reasoned with me gently.
"'What!' he said. 'You would know all--before you have proved yourself,
before you have given guarantees? You will not trust the Camorra even
when the Camorra shows that it has trust in you? Consider, now. Does
not our confidence merit yours?'
"'But I have a curiosity to know.'
"'Naturally--most naturally. And it will not be very long before your
curiosity is gratified.'
"'How long, then?'
"'A week, perhaps.'
"'You mean that?'
"'Most assuredly. There are men who have worked years to conquer the
privilege which you have won by a single act of courage.'
"'In a week, then----'
"'In a week you will receive notice of the meeting called for your
initiation as a member of the Camorra.'
"'And then I shall know all?'
"'All--provided that in the meantime you have faithfully performed the
duties that I lay upon you.'
"'Your words are plausible,' I said. 'You are an honest man. Let me
shake hands with you.'
"We shook hands, and my colleague explained the nature of my appointed
task. Outside the _cafe_ at which I had felled the Camorrista to the
ground, I was myself to stand as the representative of the Camorra. I
was to collect the Camorra's share--a tenth of every winner's winnings.
I was to account to the Camorra for the money--the Camorra would dispose
of it.
"'It does not strike me as an occupation of great dignity,' I
represented.
"'Indeed! It is a position of trust that I assign to you.'
"There clearly was something in that.
"'If I were quite sure,' I added, 'of the objects of the association,
and of the use to which the money would be put----'
"He smiled and nodded, saying--
"'You will soon know; and when you know, you will have no reason to be
displeased.'
"Then he left me, and I lunched and proceeded to my post, and acted to
the best of my ability as Collector of Revenues to the Camorra.
"There were no difficulties to be encountered. The tax-collectors of the
Government must have envied me the simplicity of my task. There were no
troublesome forms to be filled up; there were no irritating requests to
call again. I had merely to extend my hand, and the coins were counted
into it without demur. Nor had I to keep books. To prevent mistakes, I
put the Camorra moneys aside in a separate bag. For the rest, there was
perfect reliance on my honour.
"In due course a letter was slipped into my hands, running thus--
"'_Dear Companion,--It is for to-night, in the cellar of the house by
which thou watchest. Thou shalt be initiated, and then shalt be informed
of all. Nothing further._
"'THY COMPANION.'
"It was a great occasion for me, and I prepared myself to do full
justice to it.
"'_Voyons!_' I said to myself. 'I will make my toilet; and while I am
making my toilet, I will compose my speech. _Grande tenue_, I take it,
will be _en regle_. Even if I am wrong, I shall have paid my companions
a compliment by thinking so, and it will also be a compliment to be able
to address them in a few well-chosen words.'
"So, as I had no dress-clothes with me, I hired a suit, wearing also a
flowing cape to cover it, in case it should seem ostentatious; and I
collected my thoughts and polished my phrases, that I might deliver a
suitable harangue, on the principles of whatever revolution might be
contemplated.
"Alas! it was a waste of energy, as you shall see. Listen to me, I beg
of you, while I describe my first and last appearance at a formal
committee meeting of the Camorra.
"The place was a long, low room, below the level of the street, reached
from the _cafe_ by a winding staircase; stone oil-lamps, swinging from
the ceiling, lighted it dimly, clouds of tobacco smoke thickened the
atmosphere; bottles of red wine and tumblers were set out on a long
table on which no cloth was laid.
"There were from twenty-five to thirty companions present--companions of
all kinds and all social grades; companions who had all the appearance
of prosperous professional men--doctors, lawyers, and magistrates--some
of these, like myself, were in evening dress, with white gloves;
companions who looked like working men; companions who looked like
wandering Neapolitan mandolinists. It seemed strange that _camaraderie_
should prevail among them; yet so it was. They sat round the table
together clinking glasses, while I was placed on a high stool near the
door awaiting the ceremony of my initiation. It was a very simple
ceremony. The president of the assemblage rose and addressed me.
"'It is the rule,' he said, 'to require a new companion to prove himself
by fighting a duel with some existing member of----'
"'I shall be most pleased,' I interposed. 'If you yourself, Signor
President, will do me the great honour of encountering me, I will
endeavour----'
"'In certain cases,' the president continued, 'the rule is waived. It
is waived in your case, because you have already proved yourself.'
"'On two occasions, Signor President,' I reminded him.'
"'Precisely--on two occasions. Consequently the third proof is not
required.'
"'You are quite sure, Signor President? I ask no favour. Rather than
that any irregularity should be committed----'
"'There will be no irregularity. It will only be necessary for you to
swear the oath. Repeat it after me.'
"He recited the formula, a short and simple one. I swore to be faithful
to the Camorra, to keep its secrets, to obey its orders, to betray no
companions to the police. And that was all.
"'Now drink,' said the president. And a tumbler of red wine was handed
to me, and I duly drained it to the dregs, after first walking round the
table and clinking glasses with every member.
"'And now,' the president continued, 'we reach the business of the
evening.'
"I listened eagerly. At last, it seemed, the mystery was to be solved,
and I was to learn the secret of the Camorra--in what sacred cause it
gathered in its revenues, and by what subtle means it proposed to employ
them for the overthrow of principalities and powers. The truth burst
upon me like a thunderbolt.
"'Giovanni, bring me the books!' called the president to a subordinate.
And two great ledgers, such as you see in merchants' offices, were laid
before him.
"'And the cash!' he added; and a number of small bags full of coins were
also brought.
"In a few minutes he was immersed in calculations, while a loud buzz of
talk went on around him. Then he looked up, and banging upon the table,
called for silence. When he spoke, you could have heard a pin drop.
"'The week has been a fortunate one,' he said, and cheers broke out.
'In addition to the ordinary tribute collected on the quays, at the
hotels, and in the _cafes_, some heavy fees have been received from
farmers whose cattle the companions have promised not to poison, and
from citizens at whose houses the companions have undertaken that there
shall be no burglaries. The _barattolo_----'
"'_Viva il barattolo!_' shouted the companions gleefully.
"'The _barattolo_ for the week amounts to the sum of 20,000 lire (loud
cheers). When the necessary deductions have been made for working
expenses, and for the remuneration of the office-bearers of the society,
there remain 730 lire for each companion.'
"Not a word, you perceive, about the political purposes of the society,
concerning which I had been promised information. I rose from my stool
to point out the omission.
"'_Voyons_, companions----' I began, but the president signed to me to
be silent and continued--
"'Let me proceed to the distribution of the funds. Giovanni, take this
bag first to the companion, Jean Antoine Stromboli Kosnapulski.'
"My turn had come, and I was free to speak. They cheered me as I rose,
imagining, no doubt, that I wished to return thanks for the honour done
to me. But this was not my purpose. My suspicions were awakened, and I
concentrated those suspicions in the form of searching questions.
"'This bag of money is for me,' I began.
"'Naturally,' replied the president.
"'To do what I like with?'
"'Absolutely.'
"'And for each companion present there is a similar bag for him also, to
do what he likes with?'
"'Assuredly. We are all brothers here.'
"'And the great revenues of this great society are collected for no
other purpose than to be thus divided weekly among the favoured few?'
"'Precisely. For what other purpose should we trouble to collect them?'
"'Then I have a word to say.'
"For now the truth was out, and my suspicions were confirmed, and
indignation had followed in their train.
"The companions stared at me--puzzled by my vehemence; but I quickly
made them understand. The burning sentences flowed like red-hot lava
from my lips. The speech which I delivered was not the speech which I
had prepared. It was an infinitely greater speech.
"'Yes, I have a word to say to you; and that word is this. You have
deceived, deluded, fooled me, you have inveigled me by your fair words
into a companionship of which I find myself at once ashamed.'
"A murmur was arising, but I quelled it.
"'Silence! I have not finished. I have but begun. By your nods and
your winks and your mysterious words you led me to believe that in
joining you I was joining the mightiest revolutionary society that the
world had ever seen. Heaven knows that I shrink from no revolutionary
enterprise. Heaven knows that I am willing to adopt strong measures to
raise the money which such enterprises need. And I thought that you
were raising money for such a purpose, and that I was helping you to
raise it. But what do I find? I find that you plunder--plunder the
poor and weak and helpless--not for a cause, but for yourselves. I
thought to be taking part with you in a high political conspiracy, and I
find myself--I, _moi qui vous parle_, find myself--sitting and drinking
in a den of thieves.'
"There was a further murmur; but this, too, I quelled.
"'Silence! I have nearly done. It remains for me to shake the dust
from off my feet. It remains for me to say that I resign my membership,
that I repudiate you, that I sever my connection with you, that I
denounce you----'
"But I got no further. It was the word 'denounce,' unfortunately
chosen, with its suggestion of betrayal to the police, that spurred the
companions to action. Their numbers gave them courage; their knives
flashed; as a single man they leapt at me.
"It was no time for argument. I hurled my stool at the nearest of them,
and so secured a start. On the winding stair one of them clutched at
the skirt of my cape; I threw my arms back, so that it came off in his
hands. Then, in my evening dress and opera-hat, I gained the streets
and ran, some twenty Neapolitan ruffians, with their knives drawn,
pursuing.
[Illustration: "'It was no time for argument. I hurled my stool at the
nearest of them.'"]
"But I was fleet of foot, and they pursued in vain; and when I had
reached the railway-station, and jumped into the carriage of a departing
train--which seemed, in the circumstances, the safest place of refuge--I
found that my bag of coins was safely in my pocket.
"'_Voyons!_' I said to myself, as I examined it. 'If I could return
each of these coins to its rightful owner! But that is obviously
impossible; there is no alternative but to retain them as a memento of a
remarkable experience that is hardly likely to occur again.'"