it was without remedy, and resigned himself to his fate. Meanwhile, a
special commission had been appointed, in order to make at least a
pretense of justice; but when he was led before this commission, he could
only repeat what he had already said; that is to say, give an exact
account of the occurrence, protest his innocence, and admit at the same
time that appearances were entirely against him. What could he reply
when asked wherefore, and with what motive, he had been found alone in
the night, armed with a sword, in the thickest of the wood? Here his
oath as Carbonari sealed his lips, and his hesitation was taken as
additional proof. What could he reply to the deposition of the gendarmes
who had arrested him in the very act? He was consequently unanimously
condemned to death, and reconducted to his prison until the time fixed
for the execution of his sentence.

A priest was first sent to him. The officer received him with the utmost
respect, but refused to make confession, and was next importuned by the
visit of a brotherhood of penitents. At last the executioner came to
conduct him to the place of punishment; and while he was on the way,
accompanied by several gendarmes and a long line of penitents, the
funeral procession was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the
colonel of the gendarmerie, whom chance brought to the scene. This
officer bore the name of Colonel Boizard, a man well known in all upper
Italy, and the terror of all malefactors. The colonel ordered a halt,
for the purpose of himself questioning the condemned, and made him give
an account of the circumstances of the crime and the sentence. When he
was alone with the officer, he said, "You see that all is against you,
and nothing can save you from the death which awaits you. I can,
nevertheless, save you, but only on one condition. I know that you
belong to the society of the Carbonari. Give me the names of your
accomplices in these terrible conspiracies and your life shall be the