door; an usher marshalled us, standing, round
the tables; and a priest read grace.

As he began to read, a strange sensation came
upon me. I felt impelled to look across to the
opposite table, and there . . . yes, by Heaven!
there I saw Gasparo.

He was looking full at me, but his eyes dropped
on meeting mine. I saw him turn lividly white.
The recollection of all he had made me suffer,
and of the dastardly blow that he had dealt me
on the day of our flight, overpowered for the
moment even my surprise at seeing him in this
place. Oh that I might live to meet him yet,
under the free sky, where no priest was praying,
and no guards were by!

The grace over, we sat down, and fell to.
Not even anger had power to blunt the edge of
my appetite just then. I ate like a famishing
wolf, and so did most of the others. We were
allowed no wine, and the doors were locked upon
us, that we might not procure any elsewhere.
It was a wise regulation, considering the task
we had to perform; but it made us none the
less noisy. Under certain circumstances, danger
intoxicates like wine; and on this Easter Sunday,
we eighty sanpietrini, any one of whom
might have his brains dashed about the leads
before supper-time, ate, talked, jested, and
laughed, with a wild gaiety that had in it
something appalling.

The dinner lasted long, and when no one
seemed disposed to eat more, the tables were
cleared. Most of the men threw themselves on
the floor and benches, and went to sleep;
Gasparo among the number. Seeing this, I could
refrain no longer. I went over, and stirred him
roughly with my foot.

"Gasparo! You know me?"

He looked up, sullenly.

"Devil's mass! I thought you were at
Toulon."

"It is not your fault that I am not at Toulon!
Listen to me. If you and I survive
this night, you shall answer to me for your
treachery!"

He glared at me from under his deep brows,
and, without replying, turned over on his face
again, as if to sleep.

"Ecco un maladetto!" (There's an accursed
fellow!), said one of the others, with a
significant shrug, as I came away.

"Do you know anything of him?" I asked,
eagerly.

"Cospetto! I know nothing of him; but that
solitude is said to have made him a Wolf."

I could learn no more, so I also stretched
myself upon the floor, as far as possible from my
enemy, and fell profoundly asleep,

At seven, the guards roused those who still
slept, and served each man with a small mug of
thin wine. We were then formed into a double
file, marched round by the back of the cathedral,
and conducted up an inclined plane to the roof
below the dome. From this point, a long series
of staircases and winding passages carried us up
between the double walls of the dome; and, at
different stages in the ascent, a certain number
of us were detached and posted ready for work.
I was detached about half way up, and I saw
Gasparo going higher still. When we were all
posted, the superintendents came round and
gave us our instructions. At a given signal,
every man was to pass out through the loophole
or window before which he was placed, and
seat himself astride upon a narrow shelf of wood
hanging to a strong rope just below. This rope
came through the window, was wound round a
roller, and secured from within. At the next
signal, a lighted torch would be put into his right
hand, and he was to grasp the rope firmly with
his left. At the third signal, the rope was to be
unwound from within by an assistant placed
there for the purpose, he was to be allowed to
slide rapidly down, over the curve of the dome,
and, while thus sliding, was to apply his torch
to every lamp he passed in his downward
progress.

Having received these instructions, we waited,
each man at his window, until the first signal
should be given.

It was fast getting dark, and the silver
illumination had been lighted since seven. All the
great ribs of the dome, as far as I could see; all
the cornices and friezes of the façade below; all
the columns and parapets of the great colonnade
surrounding the piazza four hundred feet below,
were traced out in lines of paper lanterns, the
light from which, subdued by the paper, gleamed
with a silvery fire which had a magical and
wondrous look. Between and among these
lanternoni, were placed, at different intervals all
over the cathedral on the side facing the piazza,
iron cups called padelle, ready filled with tallow
and turpentine. To light those on the dome and
cupola, was the perilous task of the sanpietrini;
when they were all lighted, the golden illumination
would be effected.

A few moments of intense suspense elapsed.
At every second the evening grew darker, the
lanternoni burned brighter, the surging hum of
thousands in the piazza and streets below, rose
louder to our ears. I felt the quickening breath
of the assistant at my shoulder—I could almost
hear the beating of my heart. Suddenly, like
the passing of an electric current, the first
signal flew from lip to lip. I got out, and
crossed my legs firmly round the board—with the
second signal, I seized the blazing torch—with
the third, I felt myself launched, and, lighting
every cup as I glided past, saw all the
mountainous dome above and below me spring into
lines of leaping flame. The clock was now striking
eight, and when the last stroke sounded, the whole
cathedral was glowing in outlines of fire. A
roar, like the roar of a great ocean, rose up from
the multitude below, and seemed to shake the
very dome against which I was clinging. I
could even see the light upon the gazing faces,
the crowd upon the bridge of St. Angelo,
and the boats swarming along the Tiber.

Having dropped safely to the full length of
my rope, and lighted my allotted share of lamps,
I was now sitting in secure enjoyment of this
amazing scene. All at once, I felt the rope