"What sort of meeting?"

Arthur seemed embarrassed by the question.
"It--it was n-not a r-regular meeting," he said
with a nervous little stammer. "A student had
come from Genoa, and he made a speech to us--
a-a sort of--lecture."

"What did he lecture about?"

Arthur hesitated. "You won't ask me his
name, Padre, will you? Because I promised----"

"I will ask you no questions at all, and if you
have promised secrecy of course you must not tell
me; but I think you can almost trust me by this
time."

"Padre, of course I can. He spoke about--us
and our duty to the people--and to--our own
selves; and about--what we might do to
help----"

"To help whom?"

"The contadini--and----"

"And?"