The Gadfly

by E. L. Voynich

  CHAPTER III.

  "AND I once more most earnestly assure Your Eminence that your refusalis endangering the peace of the town."

  The Governor tried to preserve the respectful tone due to a highdignitary of the Church; but there was audible irritation in his voice.His liver was out of order, his wife was running up heavy bills, andhis temper had been sorely tried during the last three weeks. A sullen,disaffected populace, whose dangerous mood grew daily more apparent; adistrict honeycombed with plots and bristling with hidden weapons; aninefficient garrison, of whose loyalty he was more than doubtful, anda Cardinal whom he had pathetically described to his adjutant as the"incarnation of immaculate pig-headedness," had already reduced himto the verge of desperation. Now he was saddled with the Gadfly, ananimated quintessence of the spirit of mischief.

  Having begun by disabling both the Governor's favourite nephew andhis most valuable spy, the "crooked Spanish devil" had followed up hisexploits in the market-place by suborning the guards, browbeating theinterrogating officers, and "turning the prison into a bear-garden."He had now been three weeks in the fortress, and the authorities ofBrisighella were heartily sick of their bargain. They had subjectedhim to interrogation upon interrogation; and after employing, to obtainadmissions from him, every device of threat, persuasion, and stratagemwhich their ingenuity could suggest, remained just as wise as on theday of his capture. They had begun to realize that it would perhaps havebeen better to send him into Ravenna at once. It was, however, too lateto rectify the mistake. The Governor, when sending in to the Legate hisreport of the arrest, had begged, as a special favour, permission tosuperintend personally the investigation of this case; and, his requesthaving been graciously acceded to, he could not now withdraw without ahumiliating confession that he was overmatched.

  The idea of settling the difficulty by a courtmartial had, as Gemma andMichele had foreseen, presented itself to him as the only satisfactorysolution; and Cardinal Montanelli's stubborn refusal to countenance thiswas the last drop which made the cup of his vexations overflow.

  "I think," he said, "that if Your Eminence knew what I and my assistantshave put up with from this man you would feel differently about thematter. I fully understand and respect the conscientious objection toirregularities in judicial proceedings; but this is an exceptional caseand calls for exceptional measures."

  "There is no case," Montanelli answered, "which calls for injustice; andto condemn a civilian by the judgment of a secret military tribunal isboth unjust and illegal."

  "The case amounts to this, Your Eminence: The prisoner is manifestlyguilty of several capital crimes. He joined the infamous attempt ofSavigno, and the military commission nominated by Monsignor Spinolawould certainly have had him shot or sent to the galleys then, hadhe not succeeded in escaping to Tuscany. Since that time he has neverceased plotting. He is known to be an influential member of one of themost pestilent secret societies in the country. He is gravely suspectedof having consented to, if not inspired, the assassination of no lessthan three confidential police agents. He has been caught--one mightalmost say--in the act of smuggling firearms into the Legation. Hehas offered armed resistance to authority and seriously wounded twoofficials in the discharge of their duty, and he is now a standingmenace to the peace and order of the town. Surely, in such a case, acourt-martial is justifiable."

  "Whatever the man has done," Montanelli replied, "he has the right to bejudged according to law."

  "The ordinary course of law involves delay, Your Eminence, and in thiscase every moment is precious. Besides everything else, I am in constantterror of his escaping."

  "If there is any danger of that, it rests with you to guard him moreclosely."

  "I do my best, Your Eminence, but I am dependent upon the prison staff,and the man seems to have bewitched them all. I have changed the guardfour times within three weeks; I have punished the soldiers till I amtired of it, and nothing is of any use. I can't prevent their carryingletters backwards and forwards. The fools are in love with him as if hewere a woman."

  "That is very curious. There must be something remarkable about him."

  "There's a remarkable amount of devilry--I beg pardon, Your Eminence,but really this man is enough to try the patience of a saint. It'shardly credible, but I have to conduct all the interrogations myself,for the regular officer cannot stand it any longer."

  "How is that?"

  "It's difficult to explain. Your Eminence, but you would understand ifyou had once heard the way he goes on. One might think the interrogatingofficer were the criminal and he the judge."

  "But what is there so terrible that he can do? He can refuse to answeryour questions, of course; but he has no weapon except silence."

  "And a tongue like a razor. We are all mortal, Your Eminence, and mostof us have made mistakes in our time that we don't want published on thehouse-tops. That's only human nature, and it's hard on a man to have hislittle slips of twenty years ago raked up and thrown in his teeth----"

  "Has Rivarez brought up some personal secret of the interrogatingofficer?"

  "Well, really--the poor fellow got into debt when he was a cavalryofficer, and borrowed a little sum from the regimental funds----"

  "Stole public money that had been intrusted to him, in fact?"

  "Of course it was very wrong, Your Eminence; but his friends paidit back at once, and the affair was hushed up,--he comes of a goodfamily,--and ever since then he has been irreproachable. How Rivarezfound out about it I can't conceive; but the first thing he did atinterrogation was to bring up this old scandal--before the subaltern,too! And with as innocent a face as if he were saying his prayers! Ofcourse the story's all over the Legation by now. If Your Eminencewould only be present at one of the interrogations, I am sure you wouldrealize---- He needn't know anything about it. You might overhear himfrom------"

  Montanelli turned round and looked at the Governor with an expressionwhich his face did not often wear.

  "I am a minister of religion," he said; "not a police-spy; andeavesdropping forms no part of my professional duties."

  "I--I didn't mean to give offence------"

  "I think we shall not get any good out of discussing this questionfurther. If you will send the prisoner here, I will have a talk withhim."

  "I venture very respectfully to advise Your Eminence not to attempt it.The man is perfectly incorrigible. It would be both safer and wiser tooverstep the letter of the law for this once, and get rid of him beforehe does any more mischief. It is with great diffidence that I ventureto press the point after what Your Eminence has said; but after all I amresponsible to Monsignor the Legate for the order of the town------"

  "And I," Montanelli interrupted, "am responsible to God and His Holinessthat there shall be no underhand dealing in my diocese. Since youpress me in the matter, colonel, I take my stand upon my privilegeas Cardinal. I will not allow a secret court-martial in this townin peace-time. I will receive the prisoner here, and alone, at tento-morrow morning."

  "As Your Eminence pleases," the Governor replied with sulkyrespectfulness; and went away, grumbling to himself: "They're about apair, as far as obstinacy goes."

  He told no one of the approaching interview till it was actually time toknock off the prisoner's chains and start for the palace. It was quiteenough, as he remarked to his wounded nephew, to have this Most Eminentson of Balaam's ass laying down the law, without running any risk of thesoldiers plotting with Rivarez and his friends to effect an escape onthe way.

  When the Gadfly, strongly guarded, entered the room where Montanelli waswriting at a table covered with papers, a sudden recollection cameover him, of a hot midsummer afternoon when he had sat turning overmanuscript sermons in a study much like this. The shutters had beenclosed, as they were here, to keep out the heat, and a fruitseller'svoice outside had called: "Fragola! Fragola!"

  He shook the hair angrily back from his eyes and set his mouth in asmile.

  Montanelli looked up from his papers.
/>   "You can wait in the hall," he said to the guards.

  "May it please Your Eminence," began the sergeant, in a lowered voiceand with evident nervousness, "the colonel thinks that this prisoner isdangerous and that it would be better------"

  A sudden flash came into Montanelli's eyes.

  "You can wait in the hall," he repeated quietly; and the sergeant,saluting and stammering excuses with a frightened face, left the roomwith his men.

  "Sit down, please," said the Cardinal, when the door was shut. TheGadfly obeyed in silence.

  "Signor Rivarez," Montanelli began after a pause, "I wish to ask you afew questions, and shall be very much obliged to you if you will answerthem."

  The Gadfly smiled. "My ch-ch-chief occupation at p-p-present is to beasked questions."

  "And--not to answer them? So I have heard; but these questions are putby officials who are investigating your case and whose duty is to useyour answers as evidence."

  "And th-those of Your Eminence?" There was a covert insult in the tonemore than in the words, and the Cardinal understood it at once; but hisface did not lose its grave sweetness of expression.

  "Mine," he said, "whether you answer them or not, will remain betweenyou and me. If they should trench upon your political secrets, of courseyou will not answer. Otherwise, though we are complete strangers to eachother, I hope that you will do so, as a personal favour to me."

  "I am ent-t-tirely at the service of Your Eminence." He said it with alittle bow, and a face that would have taken the heart to ask favoursout of the daughters of the horse-leech.

  "First, then, you are said to have been smuggling firearms into thisdistrict. What are they wanted for?"

  "T-t-to k-k-kill rats with."

  "That is a terrible answer. Are all your fellow-men rats in your eyes ifthey cannot think as you do?"

  "S-s-some of them."

  Montanelli leaned back in his chair and looked at him in silence for alittle while.

  "What is that on your hand?" he asked suddenly.

  The Gadfly glanced at his left hand. "Old m-m-marks from the teeth ofsome of the rats."

  "Excuse me; I was speaking of the other hand. That is a fresh hurt."

  The slender, flexible right hand was badly cut and grazed. The Gadflyheld it up. The wrist was swollen, and across it ran a deep and longblack bruise.

  "It is a m-m-mere trifle, as you see," he said. "When I was arrested theother day,--thanks to Your Eminence,"--he made another little bow,--"oneof the soldiers stamped on it."

  Montanelli took the wrist and examined it closely. "How does it cometo be in such a state now, after three weeks?" he asked. "It is allinflamed."

  "Possibly the p-p-pressure of the iron has not done it much good."

  The Cardinal looked up with a frown.

  "Have they been putting irons on a fresh wound?"

  "N-n-naturally, Your Eminence; that is what fresh wounds are for. Oldwounds are not much use. They will only ache; you c-c-can't make themburn properly."

  Montanelli looked at him again in the same close, scrutinizing way; thenrose and opened a drawer full of surgical appliances.

  "Give me the hand," he said.

  The Gadfly, with a face as hard as beaten iron, held out the hand,and Montanelli, after bathing the injured place, gently bandaged it.Evidently he was accustomed to such work.

  "I will speak about the irons," he said. "And now I want to ask youanother question: What do you propose to do?"

  "Th-th-that is very simply answered, Your Eminence. To escape if I can,and if I can't, to die."

  "Why 'to die'?"

  "Because if the Governor doesn't succeed in getting me shot, I shall besent to the galleys, and for me that c-c-comes to the same thing. I havenot got the health to live through it."

  Montanelli rested his arm on the table and pondered silently. The Gadflydid not disturb him. He was leaning back with half-shut eyes, lazilyenjoying the delicious physical sensation of relief from the chains.

  "Supposing," Montanelli began again, "that you were to succeed inescaping; what should you do with your life?"

  "I have already told Your Eminence; I should k-k-kill rats."

  "You would kill rats. That is to say, that if I were to let you escapefrom here now,--supposing I had the power to do so,--you would use yourfreedom to foster violence and bloodshed instead of preventing them?"

  The Gadfly raised his eyes to the crucifix on the wall. "'Not peace,but a sword';--at l-least I should be in good company. For my own part,though, I prefer pistols."

  "Signor Rivarez," said the Cardinal with unruffled composure, "I havenot insulted you as yet, or spoken slightingly of your beliefs orfriends. May I not expect the same courtesy from you, or do you wish meto suppose that an atheist cannot be a gentleman?"

  "Ah, I q-quite forgot. Your Eminence places courtesy high among theChristian virtues. I remember your sermon in Florence, on the occasionof my c-controversy with your anonymous defender."

  "That is one of the subjects about which I wished to speak to you. Wouldyou mind explaining to me the reason of the peculiar bitterness you seemto feel against me? If you have simply picked me out as a convenienttarget, that is another matter. Your methods of political controversyare your own affair, and we are not discussing politics now. But Ifancied at the time that there was some personal animosity towards me;and if so, I should be glad to know whether I have ever done you wrongor in any way given you cause for such a feeling."

  Ever done him wrong! The Gadfly put up the bandaged hand to his throat."I must refer Your Eminence to Shakspere," he said with a little laugh."It's as with the man who can't endure a harmless, necessary cat. Myantipathy is a priest. The sight of the cassock makes my t-t-teethache."

  "Oh, if it is only that----" Montanelli dismissed the subject with anindifferent gesture.

  "Still," he added, "abuse is one thing and perversion of fact isanother. When you stated, in answer to my sermon, that I knew theidentity of the anonymous writer, you made a mistake,--I do not accuseyou of wilful falsehood,--and stated what was untrue. I am to this dayquite ignorant of his name."

  The Gadfly put his head on one side, like an intelligent robin, lookedat him for a moment gravely, then suddenly threw himself back and burstinto a peal of laughter.

  "S-s-sancta simplicitas! Oh, you, sweet, innocent, Arcadian people--andyou never guessed! You n-never saw the cloven hoof?"

  Montanelli stood up. "Am I to understand, Signor Rivarez, that you wroteboth sides of the controversy yourself?"

  "It was a shame, I know," the Gadfly answered, looking up with wide,innocent blue eyes. "And you s-s-swallowed everything whole; just as ifit had been an oyster. It was very wrong; but oh, it w-w-was so funny!"

  Montanelli bit his lip and sat down again. He had realized from thefirst that the Gadfly was trying to make him lose his temper, and hadresolved to keep it whatever happened; but he was beginning to findexcuses for the Governor's exasperation. A man who had been spending twohours a day for the last three weeks in interrogating the Gadfly mightbe pardoned an occasional swear-word.

  "We will drop that subject," he said quietly. "What I wanted to see youfor particularly is this: My position here as Cardinal gives me somevoice, if I choose to claim my privilege, in the question of what isto be done with you. The only use to which I should ever put such aprivilege would be to interfere in case of any violence to you which wasnot necessary to prevent you from doing violence to others. I sent foryou, therefore, partly in order to ask whether you have anything tocomplain of,--I will see about the irons; but perhaps there is somethingelse,--and partly because I felt it right, before giving my opinion, tosee for myself what sort of man you are."

  "I have nothing to complain of, Your Eminence. 'A la guerre comme a laguerre.' I am not a schoolboy, to expect any government to pat me on thehead for s-s-smuggling firearms onto its territory. It's only naturalthat they should hit as hard as they can. As for what sort of man I am,you have had a romantic confession of my sin
s once. Is not that enough;or w-w-would you like me to begin again?"

  "I don't understand you," Montanelli said coldly, taking up a pencil andtwisting it between his fingers.

  "Surely Your Eminence has not forgotten old Diego, the pilgrim?"He suddenly changed his voice and began to speak as Diego: "I am amiserable sinner------"

  The pencil snapped in Montanelli's hand. "That is too much!" he said.

  The Gadfly leaned his head back with a soft little laugh, and satwatching while the Cardinal paced silently up and down the room.

  "Signor Rivarez," said Montanelli, stopping at last in front of him,"you have done a thing to me that a man who was born of a woman shouldhesitate to do to his worst enemy. You have stolen in upon my privategrief and have made for yourself a mock and a jest out of the sorrowof a fellow-man. I once more beg you to tell me: Have I ever done youwrong? And if not, why have you played this heartless trick on me?"

  The Gadfly, leaning back against the chair-cushions, looked up with hissubtle, chilling, inscrutable smile.

  "It am-m-mused me, Your Eminence; you took it all so much to heart, andit rem-m-minded me--a little bit--of a variety show----"

  Montanelli, white to the very lips, turned away and rang the bell.

  "You can take back the prisoner," he said when the guards came in.

  After they had gone he sat down at the table, still trembling withunaccustomed indignation, and took up a pile of reports which had beensent in to him by the parish priests of his diocese.

  Presently he pushed them away, and, leaning on the table, hid his facein both hands. The Gadfly seemed to have left some terrible shadow ofhimself, some ghostly trail of his personality, to haunt the room; andMontanelli sat trembling and cowering, not daring to look up lest heshould see the phantom presence that he knew was not there. The spectrehardly amounted to a hallucination. It was a mere fancy of overwroughtnerves; but he was seized with an unutterable dread of its shadowypresence--of the wounded hand, the smiling, cruel mouth, the mysteriouseyes, like deep sea water----

  He shook off the fancy and settled to his work. All day long he hadscarcely a free moment, and the thing did not trouble him; but goinginto his bedroom late at night, he stopped on the threshold with asudden shock of fear. What if he should see it in a dream? He recoveredhimself immediately and knelt down before the crucifix to pray.

  But he lay awake the whole night through.