"I asked you for your father's name."
"None at all, your Excellency."
A Carabineer explained that the woman was nearly stone deaf, whereupon the president, who was irritated by the laughter his questions had provoked, ordered the woman to be removed.
"Tommaso Mariotti," said the president, after the preliminary interrogations, "you are porter at the Piazza Navona, and will be able to say if meetings of political associations were held there, if the prisoner took part in them, and who were the organising authorities. Now answer me, were meetings ever held in your house?"
The old man turned his pork-pie hat in his hand, and made no answer.
"Answer me. We cannot sit here all day doing nothing."
"It's the Eternal City, Excellency—we can take our time," said the old man.
"Answer the president instantly," said the usher. "Don't you know he can punish you if you don't?"
At that the Garibaldian's eyes became moist, and he looked at the judges. "Generals," he said, "I am only an old man, not much good to anybody, but I was a soldier myself once. I was one of the 'Thousand,' the 'Brave Thousand' they called us, and I shed my blood for my country. Now I am more than threescore years and ten, and the rest of my days are numbered. Do you want me for the sake of what is left of them to betray my comrades?"
"Next witness," said the president, and at the same moment a thick, half-stifled voice came from the bench of the accused.