John Inglesant: A Romance (Volume 2 of 2)

by J. H. Shorthouse

  *CHAPTER VIII.*

  Not very long after Inglesant had left for Umbria, his friend, DonAgostino di Chigi, suddenly came to Rome. The Pope's health was rapidlyfailing, and the excitement concerning his successor was becomingintense. The choice was generally considered to lie between theCardinals Barbarini and di Chigi, though Cardinal Sacchetti was spokenof by some, probably however merely as a substitute, should both theother parties fail in electing their candidate.

  It was the policy of the Chigi family to conduct their matters withgreat caution; none of the family, with the exception of the Cardinal,were openly in Rome; and when Don Agostino arrived he resided in one ofthe deserted villas hidden among vineyards and the gardens of solitaryconvents, which covered the Palatine and the Aventine in the southernportion of Rome within the walls. He remained within or with theCardinal during the day, but at night he ventured out into the streets,and visited the adherents of his family and those who were working tosecure his uncle's elevation.

  One night the fathers of the Oratory gave a concert at which one of thebest voices in Rome was to sing. It happened that Don Agostino passedthe gate as the company were assembling, and as he did so the street wasblocked by the train of some great personage who arrived in a sedan ofblue velvet embroidered with silver, accompanied by several gentlemenand servants. Among the former, Agostino recognized the Cavaliere diGuardino, the brother of Lauretta, of whose acquaintance with Inglesantat Florence it may be remembered he was aware, and with him another manwhose appearance seemed to recall some distant reminiscence to his mind.He could, however, see him but imperfectly in the flickering torchlight.

  Apart from his desire to remain unrecognized in Rome, Agostino had nodesire to associate with the Cavaliere, of whose character he had a verybad opinion. To his annoyance, therefore, as the sedan entered thecourtyard, the two persons he had noticed, instead of following theirpatron, turned round, and in leaving the doorway met Agostino face toface. The Cavaliere recognized him immediately, and appeared to graspeagerly the opportunity to accost him. He began by complimenting him onthe near prospect of his uncle's elevation to the Papacy, professing toconsider the chances of his election very good indeed, and added that hepresumed business connected with these matters had brought him to Rome.To this Agostino replied that, so far as he knew, his uncle had noexpectation of such an honour being at all likely to be offered him, andthat private affairs of his own, of a very delicate nature,--of a kindindeed which a gentleman of the Cavaliere's known gallantry could wellunderstand,--had brought him to Rome, as indeed he might see from thesecrecy he maintained, and by his not being present at any of theentertainments which were going forward. He then inquired in his turnwhy the Cavaliere had not entered the college. The other made someevasive answer, but it appeared to Agostino that both the Cavaliere andhis companion were not on the most familiar terms with the nobleman theyhad accompanied, although it might suit their purpose to appear in histrain. Guardino indeed changed the subject hastily, and spoke ofInglesant, praising him highly. He inquired whether the Cardinal diChigi was acquainted with him, and whether it was likely that either asan attendant upon him or upon Cardinal Rinuccini, Inglesant would beadmitted into the conclave.

  Don Agostino replied vaguely that Inglesant was then at Umbria, and thathe could offer no opinion as to the probability of the latter part ofhis inquiry.

  He thought that he could see from the expression on the other's facethat the Cavaliere thought that he was deceiving him, and that he jumpedat once to the conclusion that, as the attendant of one or other of theCardinals, Inglesant would be present at the conclave.

  Guardino went on to speak of Inglesant's character, regretting the crazeof mind, as he called it, which his ill health had produced, and whichrendered him, as he said, unfit for business or for taking his part inthe affairs of life. He went on to speak with unconcealed contempt ofInglesant's religious ideas and scruples, and of his association withMolinos; intimating, however, his opinion that it would not beimpossible to overcome these scruples, could a suitable temptation befound. These fancies once removed, he continued, Inglesant's value as atrusted and secret agent would be greatly increased.

  He seemed to be talking abstractedly, and as a perfectly disinterestedperson, who was discussing an interesting topic of morals or mentalpeculiarity.

  Agostino could not understand his drift. He answered him that theJesuits did not need unscrupulous bravoes. If they did, they could befound in every street corner by the score. He added that he imaginedthat the services which Inglesant had already performed, and mightperform again, were of a special and delicate character, for which histemperament and habit of mind, which were chiefly the result of theSociety's training, especially fitted him.

  They had by this time reached the Corso, and Agostino took theopportunity of parting with his companions, excusing himself on theground of his pretended assignation.

  He was no sooner gone than the Cavaliere, according to the narrativewhich was afterwards related by Malvolti, began to explain more clearlythan he had hitherto done what his expectations and intentions were. Hewas forced to confide in Malvolti more than he otherwise would havedone, to prevent his ridding himself of Inglesant's presence by violentmeans.

  When the Italian first saw Inglesant, whom he had never met in England,in the theatre in Florence, he was startled and terrified by his closeresemblance to his murdered brother; and his first thought was that hisvictim had returned to earth, and, invisible to others, was permitted toavenge himself upon his murderer by haunting and terrifying his paths.When he discovered, however, that the Cavaliere not only saw theappearance which had so alarmed him, but could tell him who Inglesantwas, and to a certain extent what the motives were which had brought himto Italy, his superstitious fears gave place to more materialapprehensions and expedients. He at once resolved to assassinateInglesant on leaving the theatre, in the first street through which hemight pass--a purpose which he might easily have accomplished duringInglesant's careless and unguarded wanderings round the house ofLauretta's father that night. From this intention he was withdifficulty diverted by the reasoning of the Cavaliere, who representedto him the rashness of such an action, protected as Inglesant was by themost powerful of Societies, which would not fail to punish any act whichdeprived it of a useful agent; the unnecessary character of the attempt,Inglesant being at present in complete ignorance that his enemy was nearhim; and above all, the folly of destroying a person who might otherwisebe made the medium of great personal profit and advantage. He explainedto Malvolti Inglesant's connection with the Chigi family, and theposition of influence he would occupy should the Cardinal be elected tothe Popedom; finally, he went so far as to hint at the possibility of analliance between Malvolti and his sister, should Inglesant remainuninjured.

  Malvolti had only arrived in Florence on the previous day, and theCavaliere met him accidentally in the theatre; but Guardino's plans withrelation to Inglesant and his sister were already so far matured, thathe had arranged for the abrupt departure of his father and Lauretta fromFlorence. His object was to keep in his own hands a powerful magnet ofattraction, which would bind, as he supposed, Inglesant to hisinterests; but he was by no means desirous that he should marry hissister immediately, if at all. The election for the Papacy was of veryuncertain issue, and if the di Chigi faction failed, Inglesant'salliance would be of little value. He had two strings to his bow.Malvolti, between whom and the Cavaliere association in vice and evencrime had riveted many a bond of interest and dependence, was closelyconnected with the Barbarini faction, as an unscrupulous and usefultool. Should the Cardinal Barbarini be elected Pope, or should CardinalSacchetti, who was in his interest, be chosen, his own connection withMalvolti might be of great value to the Cavaliere, and the greaterservice the latter could render to the Barbarini faction in theapproaching crisis the better. The weak point of his position on thisside was the character of Malvolti, and the subordinate position heoccupied a
mong the adherents of the Barbarini. On the other hand, ifCardinal Chigi were the future Pontiff, the prospects of any oneconnected with Inglesant would be most brilliant, as the latter, fromhis connection with the Jesuits, and as the favourite of the Pope'snephew, would at once become one of the most powerful men in Italy. Theweak point on this side was that his hold on Inglesant was very slight,and that, even supposing it to be strengthened by marriage withLauretta, Inglesant's character and temper were such as would probablymake him useless and impracticable in the attempt to secure theglittering and often illicit advantages which would be within his reach.Between this perplexing choice the only wise course appeared to be totemporize with both parties, and to attempt, in the meantime, to securean influence with either. The fortunes both of the Cavaliere and ofMalvolti were at this moment pretty nearly desperate, and their means ofinfluencing any one very small; indeed, having wasted what had once beenconsiderable wealth and talent, there remained nothing to the Cavalierebut his sister, and of that last possession he was prepared to makeunscrupulous use. It would be of small advantage to him to give hissister's hand to Inglesant unless he could first, by her means, corruptand debase his conscience and that lofty standard of conduct which heappeared, to the Cavaliere at least, unswervingly to follow; and theItalian devil at his side suggested a means to this end as wild inconception as the result proved it impotent and badly planned.

  This Italian devil was not Malvolti, though that person was one of hismost successful followers and imitators. When the inspired writer hasdescribed the princes and angels which rule the different nations of theearth, he does not go on to enumerate the distinct powers of evil which,in different countries, pursue their divers malific courses; yet itwould seem that those existences are no less real than the others. Thatthe character of the inhabitants of any country has much to do informing a distinct devil for that country no man can doubt; or that inconsequence the temptations which beset mankind in certain countries areof a distinct and peculiar kind. This fact is sometimes of considerableadvantage to the object of the tempter's art, for if, acting upon hisknowledge of the character of any people, this merely local devil layssnares in the path of a stranger, it is not impossible that the bait mayfail. This was very much what happened to John Inglesant. Of the sinswhich were really his temptations the Cavaliere knew nothing; but hecould conceive of certain acts which he concluded Inglesant wouldconsider to be sins. These acts were of a gross and sensual nature; forthe Italian devil, born of the fleshly lusts of the people, was unableto form temptations for the higher natures, and of course his pupilswere equally impotent. The result was singular. Acting upon the designof ruining Inglesant's moral sense, of debasing the ideal of conduct atwhich he aimed, and of shattering and defiling what the Cavaliereconsidered the fantastic purity of his conscience, he formed a schemewhich had the effect of removing Inglesant from a place where he wasunder the strongest temptation and in the greatest danger of violatinghis conscience, and of placing him in circumstances of trial which,though dangerous, he was still, from the peculiarity of his character,much better able to resist.

  A marriage connection with Inglesant would at this juncture be of littleavail; but a wild and illicit passion, which would involve him in acourse of licentious and confused action, in which the barriers ofmorality and the scruples of conscience would be alike annihilated, andthe whole previous nature of the victim of lawless desire altered,would, if any agent could produce so great a change, transform Inglesantinto the worldly-minded and unscrupulous accomplice that the Cavalierewished him to become. How great the fall would be he could of course inno way estimate; but he had sufficient insight to perceive that theshock of it would probably be sufficient (acting upon a consciousness sorefined and delicate as that of Inglesant) to render recovery, if everattained, very difficult and remote.

  Upon this wild scheme he acted. He had removed his sister when he hadthought that Inglesant had been sufficiently ensnared to make his aftercourse certain and precipitate. Inglesant's character, which was so veryimperfectly known to the Cavaliere, and circumstances, such as hisconfinement in the pest-house, had delayed the consummation of the plot.But the Cavaliere conceived that the time had now arrived for itscompletion. He brought his sister back to Florence, and placed her withthe Grand Duchess, in some subordinate situation which his family andhis sister's character enabled him to obtain. Having had some previousknowledge of her, the Duchess soon became attached to Lauretta, andobtained her confidence. From her she learnt Inglesant's story andcharacter, and wished to see him at the Court. While the two ladieswere planning schemes for future pleasure, the Cavaliere suddenlyappeared at Florence, and informed his sister that he had concluded,with the approbation of his father, a marriage contract between herselfand Malvolti.

  Terrified by this threatened connection with a man whose person sheloathed and whose character she detested, Lauretta flew to the Duchess,and entreated her to send at once for Inglesant, who, they were bothaware, was at that moment with the Duke of Umbria, the Grand Duchess'saged father. With the result we are acquainted.