which do not expect to be answered, of
rejoinders which are a reply to nothing, of
skippings from one train of thought to another
without gaining anything in respect to good
sense, of grimaces with the mouth and eyes
obliquely fixed on the ground, of astounding
allusions to the Scriptures, or of reminiscences
of eclipses, comets, constellations, and lunar
phases, in which the hearer can trace no
connexion either with the speaker or the speech
which he is making, or with any which he would
or could make. He then all at once puts his finger
to his lips, and sets off running from one room
to another, as if he were making his escape
from some spectral persecutor. He halts in
the middle of a large saloon, listening
attentively; then, walking on the tips of his toes, he
disappears by one door, coming in again directly
by another. The spectator fancies all this to be
the manœuvres of a cunning courtier, or the
tricks of an ill-mannered buffoon; whereas they
are simply the feverish fancies of a weak mind,
which is not qualified as being out of its wits
only, because madness supposes intervals of
reason. However that may be, Stella, although
one of the most fantastic and extravagant beings
at the papal court, is, nevertheless, the most
honest and the most inoffensive person in it.
There are, besides, Monsignor Cenni, train-
bearer, verifying the proverb, In caudâ
venenum (There is poison in the tail);
Monsignor Talbot, whose sole occupation is to
denounce all the pictorial angels he can catch
committing the offence of nudity; and others. All
these men put together, do not weigh an ounce;
but they exercise a constant and decisive influence
on the Pontiff's mind, although he feels no
respect for any of them.

As to the more prominent actors on the papal
stage, everybody knows Cardinal Antonelli from
the life-like portrait given by a well-informed
writer, although with apparent levity. Liverani
confirms most of the features of M. About's
sketch, with facts to prove the truth of the
likeness. During the summer of 1860, Prince
Torlonia went one day to kiss the feet of his
Holiness. The court of Rome, just then, was
in a state of extreme financial embarrassment.
Pius the Ninth asked him, in the most delicate
way possible, whether he could not assist the
urgent wants of the treasury, as his father had
done, and he himself also under other
circumstances. The prince replied that most assuredly
he was just as well disposed as ever towards the
Holy See, or as his father had been before him,
but that his aid was quite uncalled for, so long
as the Pope had at his elbow a cardinal minister
worth so many millions of francs; and he
related how Cardinal Antonelli had just invested
several millions through a London banker,
offering, whenever his Holiness chose, to show
him the receipts and other papers connected
with the transaction. The history of this
colossal fortune is striking: his Eminence
started from a very low stage of the social
ladder—under-clerk to a magistrate.
Monsignors Pentini and Marulli were
simultaneously judges at the tribunal of Montecitorio.
The latter had, as his secretary, the advocate
Theodulf Mertel (without a client or a brief),
and as pupils, James Antonelli and Joseph
Berardi. The famous lawsuit between the
Dukes Torlonia and Cesarini was then being
tried. The great wealth of the parties might
be a source of gain; their influence and
authority, of favour and advancement. Pentini
escaped all suspicion of corruption; but the
voice of the public charged Marulli with having
been suborned: an accusation which was
supported by facts. Marulli paraded his shame so
openly that he was discovered at last, degraded
from his office, and dismissed for ever without
title or pension. His successor was one
Monsignor Manari, and under him the three above-
named individuals continued their career, and
prepared for future conquest. Not long afterwards,
one of the three was made a prelate and
deputy secretary of state; he soon drew after
him his two companions; and Mertel and
Berardi became prelates also. A few eventful
years occurred; Antonelli rose to be Pius the
Ninth's secretary of state; Mertel soon was a
cardinal; and Berardi is awaiting the highest
honours.

Antonelli could not have dispensed with such
associates as Mertel and Berardi. He required
them for satellites, supporters, screens; for
agents and go-betweens; and also for confidential
successors who would not dare to betray
him in case of his one day falling from power.
In dealing with so constantly distrustful a
sovereign, it would have been bad and even dangerous
policy to allow solicitations in favour of his
own friends to proceed directly from himself.
By making use of Count Rossi as the tool, the
elevation of the prelate Mertel was made to
appear as a voluntary and spontaneous act on
the part of the Pope instead of a reinforcement
given to Cardinal Antonelli's party.

According to Liverani, the ruin of Rome has
been the Bank of Rome. Its establishment
dates from the Antonellis' taking charge of the
government affairs. It is the origin and the
symbol of their fortune. To force the
hesitating Pope to grant it, no less was required
than the crisis of 1849 and the exile to Portici
and Gaeta. The atmosphere of Naples inspired
the rescript which allotted to the bank a capital
of several hundred thousand crowns, and the
order to draw up its statutes. A couple of men
of law were charged with the revisal of its
clauses, to give the business a more serious
appearance. Man of law the first, was Monsignor
Mertel; the second was the advocate Villani:
a conscientious person, but so docile and so
respectful to authority that he was always
distrustful of his own proper judgment, preferring
to act on the opinion of the prelate, his colleague,
and of the secretary of state. It was easy,
besides, to sound him beforehand. And thus it
was that the Bank of Rome was authorised to
issue paper to an indeterminate amount and
without restriction of any kind. The Roman
money-market was inundated; rents rose to a