evening of ‘Holy Thursday,’ soon after her first coming to Rome, in the spring of 1847, at St. Peter’s.  She proposed to her companions that some place in the church should be designated, where, after the services, they should meet,—­she being inclined, as was her custom always in St. Peter’s, to wander alone among the different chapels.  When, at length, she saw that the crowd was dispersing, she returned to the place assigned, but could not find her party.  In some perplexity, she walked about, with her glass carefully examining each group.  Presently, a young man of gentlemanly address came up to her, and begged, if she were seeking any one, that he might be permitted to assist her; and together they continued the search through all parts of the church.  At last, it became evident, beyond a doubt, that her party could no longer be there, and, as it was then quite late, the crowd all gone, they went out into the piazza to find a carriage, in which she might go home.  In the piazza, in front of St. Peter’s, generally may be found many carriages; but, owing to the delay they had made, there were then none, and Margaret was compelled to walk, with her stranger friend, the long distance between the Vatican and the Corso.  At this time, she had little command of the language for conversational purposes, and their words were few, though enough to create in each a desire for further knowledge and acquaintance.  At her door, they parted, and Margaret, finding her friends already at home, related the adventure.”

This chance meeting at vesper service in St. Peter’s prepared the way for many interviews; and it was before Margaret’s departure for Venice, Milan, and Como, that Ossoli first offered her his hand, and was refused.  Mrs. Story continues:—­

“After her return to Rome, they met again, and he became her constant visitor; and as, in those days, Margaret watched with intense interest the tide of political events, his mind was also turned in the direction of liberty and better government.  Whether Ossoli, unassisted, would have been able to emancipate himself from the influence of his family and early education, both eminently conservative and narrow, may be a question; but that he did throw off the shackles, and espouse the cause of Roman liberty with warm zeal, is most certain.  Margaret had known Mazzini in London, had partaken of his schemes for the future of his country, and was taking every pains to inform herself in regard to the action of all parties, with a view to write a history of the period.  Ossoli brought her every intelligence that might be of interest to her, and busied himself in learning the views of both parties, that she might be able to judge the matter impartially.

“Here I may say, that, in the estimation of most of those who were in Italy at this time, the loss of Margaret’s history and notes is a great and irreparable one.  No one could have possessed so many avenues of