“Evidently,” replied Giovanni, half amused at his Eminence’s tirade.

“Evidently.  Therefore they mean nothing.  Therefore our good friend Donna Tullia is dabbling in the emptiness of political dilettanteism for the satisfaction of a hollow vanity; no offence to her—­it is the manner of her kind.”

Giovanni was silent.

“Believe me, prince,” said the Cardinal, suddenly changing his tone and speaking very seriously, “there is something better for strong men like you and me to do, in these times, than to dabble in conspiracy and to toss off glasses of champagne to Italian unity and Victor Emmanuel.  The condition of our lives is battle, and battle against terrible odds.  Neither you nor I should be content to waste our strength in fighting shadows, in waging war on petty troubles of our own raising, knowing all the while that the powers of evil are marshalled in a deadly array against the powers of good. Sed non praevalebunt!”

The Cardinal’s thin face assumed a strange look of determination, and his delicate fingers grasped Giovanni’s arm with a force that startled him.

“You speak bravely,” answered the young man.  “You are more sanguine than we men of the world.  You believe that disaster impossible which to me seems growing daily more imminent.”

Cardinal Antonelli turned his gleaming black eyes full on his companion.

“O generatio incredula! If you have not faith, you have not courage, and if you have not courage you will waste your life in the pursuit of emptiness!  It is for men like you, for men of ancient race, of broad acres, of iron body and healthy mind, to put your hand to the good work and help us who have struggled for many years and whose strength is already failing.  Every action of your life, every thought of your waking hours, should be for the good end, lest we all perish together and expiate our lukewarm indifference. Timidi nunquam statuerunt trapaeum—­if we would divide the spoil we must gird on the sword and use it boldly; we must not allow the possibility of failure; we must be vigilant; we must be united as one man.  You tell me that you men of the world already regard a disaster as imminent—­to expect defeat is nine-tenths of a defeat itself.  Ah, if we could count upon such men as you to the very death, our case would be far from desperate.”

“For the matter of that, your Eminence can count upon us well enough,” replied Giovanni, quietly.

“Upon you, Giovanni—­yes, for you are a brave gentleman.  But upon your friends, even upon your class—­no.  Can I count upon the Valdarno, even?  You know as well as I that they are in sympathy with the Liberals—­that they have neither the courage to support us nor the audacity to renounce us; and, what is worse, they represent a large class, of whom, I regret to say, Donna Tullia Mayer is one of the most prominent members.  With her wealth, her youth, her effervescent spirits,