direct information from both sides.  While she was the friend and correspondent of Mazzini, and knew the springs of action of his party; through her husband’s family and connections, she knew the other view; so that, whatever might be the value of her deductions, her facts could not have been other than of highest worth.  Together, Margaret and Ossoli went to the meetings of either side; and to her he carried all the flying reports of the day, such as he had heard in the cafe, or through his friends.

“In a short time, we went to Naples, and Margaret, in the course of a few months, to Aquila and Rieti.  Meanwhile, we heard from her often by letter, and wrote to urge her to join us in our villa at Sorrento.  During this summer, she wrote constantly upon her history of the Italian movement, for which she had collected materials through the past winter.  We did not again meet, until the following spring, March, 1849, when we went from Florence back to Rome.  Once more we were with her, then, in most familiar every-day intercourse, and as at this time a change of government had taken place,—­the Pope having gone to Molo di Gaeta.—­we watched with her the great movements of the day.  Ossoli was now actively interested on the liberal side; he was holding the office of captain in the Guardia Civica, and enthusiastically looking forward to the success of the new measures.

“During the spring of 1849, Mazzini came to Rome.  He went at once to see Margaret, and at her rooms met Ossoli.  After this interview with Mazzini, it was quite evident that they had lost something of the faith and hopeful certainty with which they had regarded the issue, for Mazzini had discovered the want of singleness of purpose in the leaders of the Provisional Government.  Still zealously Margaret and Ossoli aided in everything the progress of events; and when it was certain that the French had landed forces at Civita Vecchia, and would attack Rome, Ossoli took station with his men on the walls of the Vatican gardens, where he remained faithfully to the end of the attack.  Margaret had, at the same time, the entire charge of one of the hospitals, and was the assistant of the Princess Belgioioso, in charge of ‘dei Pellegrini,’ where, during the first day, they received seventy wounded men, French and Romans.

“Night and day, Margaret was occupied, and, with the princess, so ordered and disposed the hospitals, that their conduct was truly admirable.  All the work was skilfully divided, so that there was no confusion or hurry and, from the chaotic condition in which these places had been left by the priests,—­who previously had charge of them,—­they brought them to a state of perfect regularity and discipline.  Of money they had very little, and they were obliged to give their time and thoughts, in its place.  From the Americans in Rome, they raised a subscription for the aid of the wounded of either party; but,