get back to his lodgings and to find himself comfortably installed
in an easy chair with something to eat before him, of a more
substantial nature than the Principessa Montevarchi's infusions of
camomile and mallows.




CHAPTER III.


While Giovanni was at the Palazzo Montevarchi, and while Corona
was busy with her dressmakers, Prince Saracinesca was dozing over
the Osservatore Romano in his study. To tell the truth the paper
was less dull than usual, for there was war and rumour of war in
its columns. Garibaldi had raised a force of volunteers and was in
the neighbourhood of Arezzo, beginning to skirmish with the
outlying posts of the pontifical army along the frontier. The old
gentleman did not know, of course, that on that very day the
Italian Government was issuing its proclamation against the great
agitator, and possibly if he had been aware of the incident it
would not have produced any very strong impression upon his
convictions. Garibaldi was a fact, and Saracinesca did not believe
that any proclamations would interfere with his march unless
backed by some more tangible force. Even had he known that the
guerilla general had been arrested at Sinalunga and put in
confinement as soon as the proclamation had appeared, the prince
would have foreseen clearly enough that the prisoner's escape
would be only a question of a few days, since there were manifold
evidences that an understanding existed between Ratazzi and