"Oh," with a mock solemnity, "he is far too grand a person for that! A member of Parliament, a leader of the Left, a prophet, a person with a mission, and I daren't even dream of it. But this morning, Bruno tells me, his friend, his idol, is to stop the Pope's procession, and present a petition, so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone—see my man and see the spectacle—and here I am to see them!"
"And who is this paragon of yours, my dear?"
"The great David Rossi!"
"That man!"
The white plumes were going like a fan.
"The man is a public nuisance and ought to be put down by the police," said the little Princess, beating her foot on the floor.
"He has a tongue like a sword and a pen like a dagger," said the young Roman.
Donna Roma's eyes began to flash with a new expression.
"Ah, yes, he is a journalist, isn't he, and libels people in his paper?"
"The creature has ruined more reputations than anybody else in Europe," said the little Princess.