After a little pause, the Governor bent down and put the cross to his lips.
“I believe it,” he said.
Montanelli turned slowly away.
“I will give you a definite answer to-morrow. But first I must see Rivarez and speak to him alone.”
“Your Eminence—if I might suggest—I am sure you will regret it. For that matter, he sent me a message yesterday, by the guard, asking to see Your Eminence; but I took no notice of it, because——”
“Took no notice!” Montanelli repeated. “A man in such circumstances sent you a message, and you took no notice of it?”
“I am sorry if Your Eminence is displeased. I did not wish to trouble you over a mere impertinence like that; I know Rivarez well enough by now to feel sure that he only wanted to insult you. And, indeed, if you will allow me to say so, it would be most imprudent to go near him alone; he is really dangerous—so much so, in fact, that I have thought it necessary to use some physical restraint of a mild kind———”
“And you really think there is much danger to be apprehended from one sick and unarmed man, who is under physical restraint of a mild kind?” Montanelli spoke quite gently, but the colonel felt the sting of his quiet contempt, and flushed under it resentfully.
“Your Eminence will do as you think best,” he said in his stiffest manner. “I only wished to spare you the pain of hearing this man's awful blasphemies.”
“Which do you think the more grievous misfortune for a Christian man; to hear a blasphemous word uttered, or to abandon a fellow-creature in extremity?”