"Bah!" said a third. "It"s Russian."
"No," said a fourth, "it"s Bohemian; for Carolo Quinto said that Bohemian was the language of the devil." And Number Four, who was rather an intelligent-looking man, eyed the Senator compa.s.sionately.
"_Gunk gung, gunkety gung_!" cried the Senator, frowning, for his patience had at last deserted him.
The others looked at him helplessly, and some, thinking of the devil, piously crossed themselves. Whereupon the Senator rose in majestic wrath, and shaking his purse in the face of the cafe-keeper, shouted:
"You"re worse than a n.i.g.g.e.r!" and stalked grandly out of the place.
CHAPTER x.x.xIV.
THE SENATOR PURSUES HIS INVESTIGATIONS.--AN INTELLIGENT ROMAN TOUCHES A CHORD IN THE SENATOR"S HEART THAT VIBRATES.--RESULTS OF THE VIBRATION.--A VISIT FROM THE ROMAN POLICE; AND THE GREAT RACE DOWN THE CORSO BETWEEN THE SENATOR AND A ROMAN SPY.--GLEE OF THE POPULACE!--HI! HI!
He did not ask for frogs again; but still he did not falter in his examination into the life of the people. Still he sauntered through the remoter corners of Rome, wandering over to the other side of the Tiber, or through the Ghetto, or among the crooked streets at the end of the Corso. Few have learned so much of Rome in so short a time.
On one occasion he was sitting in a cafe, where he had supplied his wants in the following way:
"Hi! coffee! coffee!" and again, "Hi! cigar! cigar!" when his eye was attracted by a man at the next table who was reading a copy of the London _Times_, which he had spread out very ostentatiously.
After a brief survey the Senator walked over to his table and, with a beaming smile, said--
"Good-day, Sir."
The other man looked up and returned a very friendly smile.
"And how do you do, Sir?"
"Very well, I thank you," said the other, with a strong Italian accent.
"Do you keep your health?"
"Thank you, yes," said the other, evidently quite pleased at the advances of the Senator.
"Nothing gives me so much pleasure," said the Senator, "as to come across an Italian who understands English. You, Sir, are a Roman, I presume."
"Sir, I am."
The man to whom the Senator spoke was not one who would have attracted any notice from him if it had not been for his knowledge of English. He was a narrow-headed, mean-looking man, with very seedy clothes, and a servile but cunning expression.
"How do you like Rome?" he asked of the Senator.
The Senator at once poured forth all that had been in his mind since his arrival. He gave his opinion about the site, the architecture, the drains, the munic.i.p.al government, the beggars, and the commerce of the place; then the soldiers, the n.o.bles, the priests, monks, and nuns.
Then he criticised the Government, its form, its mode of administration, enlarged upon its tyranny, condemned vehemently its police system, and indeed its whole administration of every thing, civil, political, and ecclesiastical.
Waxing warmer with the sound of his own eloquence, he found himself suddenly but naturally reminded of a country where all this is reversed. So he went on to speak about Freedom, Republicanism, the Rights of Man, and the Ballot-Box. Unable to talk with sufficient fluency while in a sitting posture he rose to his feet, and as he looked around, seeing that all present were staring at him, he made up his mind to improve the occasion.
So he harangued the crowd generally, not because he thought any of them could understand him, but it was so long since he had made a speech that the present opportunity was irresistible. Besides, as he afterward remarked, he felt that it was a crisis, and who could tell but that a word spoken in season might produce some beneficial effects.
He shook hands very warmly with his new friend after it all was over, and on leaving him made him promise to come and see him at his lodgings, where he would show him statistics, etc. The Senator then returned.
That evening he received a visit. The Senator heard a rap at his door and called out "Come in." Two men entered--ill-looking, or rather malignant-looking, clothed in black.
d.i.c.k was in his room, b.u.t.tons out, Figgs and the Doctor had not returned from the cafe.
"His Excellency," said he, pointing to the other, "wishes to speak to you on official business."
"Happy to hear it," said the Senator.
"His Excellency is the Chief of the Police, and I am the Interpreter."
Whereupon the Senator shook hands with both of them again.
"Proud to make your acquaintance," said he. "I am personally acquainted with the Chief of the Boston _po_lice, and also of the Chief of the New York _po_lice, and my opinion is that they can stand more liquor than any men I ever met with. Will you liquor?"
The interpreter did not understand. The Senator made an expressive sign. The interpreter mentioned the request to the Chief, who shook his head coldly.
"This is formal," said the Interpreter-"not social."
The Senator"s face flushed. He frowned.
"Give him my compliments then, and tell him the next time he refuses a gentleman"s offer he had better do it like a gentleman.
For my part, if I chose to be uncivil, I might say that I consider your Roman police very small potatoes."
[Ill.u.s.tration: Got You There!]
The Interpreter translated this literally, and though the final expression was not very intelligible, yet it seemed to imply contempt.
So the Chief of Police made his communication as sternly as possible.
Grave reports had been made about His American Excellency. The Senator looked surprised.
"What about?"
That he was haranguing the people, going about secretly, plotting, and trying to instill revolutionary sentiments into the public mind.
"Pooh!" said the Senator.
The Chief of Police bade him be careful. He would not be permitted to stir up an excitable populace. This was to give him warning.
"Pooh!" said the Senator again.
And if he neglected this warning it would be the worse for him. And the Chief of Police looked unutterable things. The Senator gazed at him sternly and somewhat contemptuously for a few minutes.