The Cardinal smiled.

“The metaphor is apt,” he said; “but what about them?”

“I will tell you in two words,” replied Saracinesca.  “Del Ferice is a scoundrel of the first water—­”

“A jewel among scoundrels,” interrupted the Cardinal, “for being a scoundrel he is yet harmless—­a stage villain.”

“I believe your Eminence is deceived in him.”

“That may easily be,” answered the statesman.  “I am much more often deceived than people imagine.”  He spoke very mildly, but his small black eyes turned keenly upon Saracinesca.  “What has he been doing?” he asked, after a short pause.

“He has been trying to do a great deal of harm to my son and to my son’s wife.  I suspect him strongly of doing harm to you.”

Whether Saracinesca was strictly honest in saying “you” to the Cardinal, when he meant the whole State as represented by the prime minister, is a matter not easily decided.  There is a Latin saying, to the effect that a man who is feared by many should himself fear many, and the saying is true.  The Cardinal was personally a brave man; but he knew his danger, and the memory of the murdered Rossi was fresh in his mind.  Nevertheless, he smiled blandly as he answered—­

“That is rather vague, my friend.  How is he doing me harm, if I may ask?”

“I argue in this way,” returned Saracinesca, thus pressed.  “The fellow found a most ingenious way of attacking my son—­he searched the whole country till he found that a man called Giovanni Saracinesca had been, married some time ago in Aquila.  He copied the certificates, and produced them as pretended proof that my son was already married.  If I had not found the man myself, there would have been trouble.  Now besides this, Del Ferice is known to hold Liberal views—­”

“Of the feeblest kind,” interrupted the statesman, who nevertheless became very grave.

“Those he exhibits are of the feeblest kind, and he takes no trouble to hide them.  But a fellow so ingenious as to imagine the scheme he practised against us is not a fool.”

“I understand, my good friend,” said the Cardinal.  “You have been injured by this fellow, and you would like me to revenge the injury by locking him up.  Is that it?”

“Precisely,” answered Saracinesca, laughing at his own simplicity.  “I might as well have said so from the first.”

“Much better.  You would make a poor diplomatist, Prince.  But what in the world shall I gain by revenging your wrongs upon that creature?”

“Nothing—­unless when you have taken the trouble to examine his conduct, you find that he is really dangerous.  In that case your Eminence will be obliged to look to your own safety.  If you find him innocent, you will let him go.”

“And in that case, what will you do?” asked the Cardinal with a smile.

“I will cut his throat,” answered Saracinesca, unmoved.

“Murder him?”