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Updated: May 8, 2025
Here is the chair; shall I put it beside him?" The Gadfly was lying with closed eyes; but he felt that Montanelli was looking at him. "I think he is asleep, Your Eminence," the sergeant was beginning, but the Gadfly opened his eyes. "No," he said.
Some members of the liberal party ventured to remonstrate with the Gadfly about the unnecessary malice of his tone towards Montanelli; but they did not get much satisfaction out of him. He only smiled affably and answered with a languid little stammer: "R-really, gentlemen, you are rather unfair.
Monsignor Montanelli, coming out to wish the people "Good-morning," was at once surrounded by a clamourous throng of children, holding up for his acceptance great bunches of irises and scarlet poppies and sweet white narcissus from the mountain slopes. His passion for wild flowers was affectionately tolerated by the people, as one of the little follies which sit gracefully on very wise men.
Julia was his eldest step-brother's wife, and a thorn in his side. "I should not have wished you to stay with your relatives," Montanelli answered gently. "I am sure it would have been the worst possible thing for you. But I wish you could have accepted the invitation of your English doctor friend; if you had spent a month in his house you would have been more fit to study."
Have you anything to say to me, now I am here; or have you sent for me merely to amuse yourself by insulting an old man?" There was no answer. The Gadfly had turned away, and was lying with one hand across his eyes. "I am very sorry to trouble you," he said at last, huskily; "but could I have a little water?" There was a jug of water standing by the window, and Montanelli rose and fetched it.
But I'm hungry again, now; and I want something for this little person, too. Annette, won't you have some honey?" He had sat down with the child on his knee, and was helping her to put the flowers in order. "No, no!" Montanelli interposed. "I can't have you catching cold. Run and change your wet things. Come to me, Annette. Where did you pick her up?" "At the top of the village.
Montanelli spoke quite gently, but the colonel felt the sting of his quiet contempt, and flushed under it resentfully. "Your Eminence will do as you think best," he said in his stiffest manner. "I only wished to spare you the pain of hearing this man's awful blasphemies."
"I want to know, if you will tell me," Montanelli went on; "whether you have bound yourself by a vow, or in any way." "There is nothing to tell, dear Padre; I have not bound myself, but I am bound." "I don't understand " "What is the use of vows? They are not what binds people. If you feel in a certain way about a thing, that binds you to it; if you don't feel that way, nothing else can bind you."
They were standing on Rousseau's Island, and he pointed to the long, severe outlines of the Savoy side. "But the town looks so stiff and tidy, somehow so Protestant; it has a self-satisfied air. No, I don't like it; it reminds me of Julia." Montanelli laughed. "Poor boy, what a misfortune! Well, we are here for our own amusement, so there is no reason why we should stop.
Moreover, his talent as a preacher was really great; and with his beautiful voice and magnetic personality, he would in any time and place have made his mark. Grassini, as usual, strained every nerve to get the newly arrived celebrity to his house; but Montanelli was no easy game to catch.
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