"You  might  as  well  hope  to  shoot  the  devil.  All  you
have  done  is  to  give  yourself  into  the  hands  of  them  who
hire  him.  You  are  to  be  sent  to  Volterra  or  the  galleys
for  this.     The  men  outside  are  sbirri."

I  told  her  that  I  should  write  to  Count  Giraldi.  She
laughed.  "Your  Count  Giraldi  will  be  out  of  Florence.
Do  you  think  him  a  child?  His  one  desire  is  to  get  rid  of
you.     No,  no.     You  must  disguise  yourself.     This  is  a  trap."

"I  refused  to  take  your  word  last  night,  my  dear,"  I  said,
"and  should  be  sorry  to  do  it  again.  If  the  sbirri  want  me
they  can  take  me  on  a  warrant."

"They  have  no  warrant.  They  will  get  that  afterwards.
Do  you  think  them  so  stupid?  While  they  were  getting
their  warrant  you  might  get  clear  away.  Or  suppose  you
appeared  ?  The  whole  story  might  come  out,  and  a  number
of  fine  people  impHcated.  And  what  of  your  English  resi-
dent? And  what  of  your  Donna  Aurelia,  if  you  are  not
careful  of  yourself  ?  Do  you  wish  to  get  her  name  abroad  ?
No,  no.  In  Tuscany  we  imprison  a  man  first  and  get  the
warrant  afterwards,  if  necessary.  That  is  how  they  will
work,  quietly,  with  decency  —  no  conversations.  They
have  been  here  since  eight  o'clock  this  morning,  and  the
Piazza  is  quite  cmj)ty.  They  have  seen  to  that,  of  course.
