CHAPTER XXX. AN UNEXPECTED VISIT.
Though Rodin had experienced much surprise on reading the second letterfrom Rome, he did not choose that his answer should betray any suchamazement. Having finished his frugal breakfast, he took a sheet ofpaper, and rapidly wrote in cipher the following note, in the short,abrupt style that was natural to him when not obliged to restrainhimself:
"The information does not surprise me. I had foreseen it all. Indecisionand cowardice always bear such fruit. This is not enough. HereticalRussia murders Catholic Poland. Rome blesses the murderers, and cursesthe victims.(23)
"Let it pass.
"In return, Russia guarantees to Rome, by Austria, the bloodysuppression of the patriots of Romagna.
"That, too, is well.
"The cut-throat band of good Cardinal Albani is not sufficient for themassacre of the impious liberals. They are weary of the task.
"Not so well. They must go on."
When Rodin had written these last words, his attention was suddenlyattracted by the clear and sonorous voice of Rose-Pompon, who, knowingher Beranger by heart, had opened Philemon's window, and, seated on thesill, sang with much grace and prettiness this verse of the immortalsong-writer:
"How wrong you are! Is't you dare say That heaven ever scowls on earth? The earth that laughs up to its blue, The earth that owes it joy and birth? Oh, may the wine from vines it warms, May holy love thence fluttering down, Lend my philosophy their charms, To drive away care's direful frown! So, firm let's stand, Full glass in hand, And all evoke The God of honest folk!"
This song, in its divine gentleness, contrasted so strangely with thecold cruelty of the few lines written by Rodin, that he started and bithis lips with rage, as he recognized the words of the great poet, trulyChristian, who had dealt such rude blows to the false Church. Rodinwaited for some moments with angry impatience, thinking the voice wouldcontinue; but Rose-Pompon was silent, or only continued to hum, and soonchanged to another air, that of the Good Pope, which she entoned, butwithout words. Rodin, not venturing to look out of his window to see whowas this troublesome warbler, shrugged his shoulders, resumed his pen,and continued:
"To it again. We must exasperate the independent spirits in allcountries--excite philosophic rage all over Europe make liberalism foamat the mouth--raise all that is wild and noisy against Rome. Toeffect this, we must proclaim in the face of the world these threepropositions. 1. It is abominable to assert that a man may be saved inany faith whatever, provided his morals be pure. 2. It is odious andabsurd to grant liberty of conscience to the people. 3. The liberty ofthe press cannot be held in too much horror.24
"We must bring the Pap-fed man to declare these propositions inevery respect orthodox--show him their good effect upon despoticgovernments--upon true Catholics, the muzzlers of the people. He willfall into the snare. The propositions once published, the storm willburst forth. A general rising against Rome--a wide schism--the sacredcollege divided into three parties. One approves--the other blames--thethird trembles. The Sick Man, still more frightened than he is now athaving allowed the destruction of Poland, will shrink from the clamors,reproaches, threats, and violent ruptures that he has occasioned.
"That is well--and goes far.
"Then, set the Pope to shaking the conscience of the Sick Man, todisturb his mind, and terrify his soul.
"To sum up. Make everything bitter to him--divide his council--isolatehim--frighten him--redouble the ferocious ardor of good Albini--revivethe appetite of the Sanfedists(25)--give them a gulf of liberals--letthere be pillage, rape, massacre, as at Cesena--a downright riverof Carbonaro blood--the Sick Man will have a surfeit of it. So manybutcheries in his name--he will shrink, be sure he will shrink--everyday will have its remorse, every night its terror, every minuteits anguish; and the abdication he already threatens will come atlast--perhaps too soon. That is now the only danger; you must provideagainst it.
"In case of an abdication, the grand penitentiary has understood me.Instead of confiding to a general the direction of our Order, the bestmilitia of the Holy See, I should command it myself. Thenceforward thismilitia would give me no uneasiness. For instance: the Janissaries andthe Praetorian Guards were always fatal to authority--why?--becausethey were able to organize themselves as defenders of the government,independently of the government; hence their power of intimidation.
"Clement XIV. was a fool. To brand and abolish our Company was an absurdfault. To protect and make it harmless, by declaring himself the Generalof the Order, is what he should have done. The Company, then at hismercy, would have consented to anything. He would have absorbed us, madeus vassals of the Holy See, and would no longer have had to fear ourservices. Clement XIV. died of the cholic. Let him heed who hears. In asimilar case, I should not die the same death."
Just then, the clear and liquid voice of Rose-Pompon was again heard.Rodin bounded with rage upon his seat; but soon, as he listened to thefollowing verse, new to him (for, unlike Philemon's widow, he had nothis Beranger at his fingers' ends), the Jesuit, accessible to certainodd, superstitious notions, was confused and almost frightened at sosingular a coincidence. It is Beranger's Good Pope who speaks--
"What are monarchs? sheepish sots! Or they're robbers, puffed with pride, Wearing badges of crime blots, Till their certain graves gape wide. If they'll pour out coin for me, I'll absolve them--skin and bone! If they haggle--they shall see, My nieces dancing on their throne! So laugh away! Leap, my fay! Only watch one hurt the thunder First of all by Zeus under, I'm the Pope, the whole world's wonder!"
Rodin, half-risen from his chair, with outstretched neck and attentiveeye, was still listening, when Rose-Pompon, flitting like a bee fromflower to flower of her repertoire, had already begun the delightful airof Colibri. Hearing no more, the Jesuit reseated himself, in a sortof stupor; but, after some minutes' reflection, his countenance againbrightened up, and he seemed to see a lucky omen in this singularincident. He resumed his pen, and the first words he wrote partook, asit were, of this strange confidence in fate.
"I have never had more hope of success than at this moment. Anotherreason to neglect nothing. Every presentiment demands redoubled zeal. Anew thought occurred to me yesterday.
"We shall act here in concert. I have founded an ultra-Catholic papercalled Neighborly Love. From its ultramontane, tyrannical, liberticidalfury, it will be thought the organ of Rome. I will confirm thesereports. They will cause new terrors.
"That will be well.
"I shall raise the question of the liberty of instruction. The rawliberals will support us. Like fools, they admit us to equal rights;when our privileges, our influence of the confessional, our obedience toRome, all place us beyond the circle of equal rights, by the advantageswhich we enjoy. Double fools! they think us disarmed, because they havedisarmed themselves towards us.
"A burning question--irritating clamors--new cause of disgust for theWeak Man. Every little makes a mickle.
"That also is very well.
"To sum up all in two words. The end is abdication--the means, vexation,incessant torture. The Rennepont inheritance wilt pay for the election.The price agreed, the merchandise will be sold."
Rodin here paused abruptly, thinking he had heard some noise at thatdoor of his, which opened on the staircase; therefore he listened withsuspended breath; but all remaining silent, he thought he must have beendeceived, and took up his pen:
"I will take care of the Rennepont business--the hinge on whichwill turn our temporal operations. We must begin from thefoundation--substitute the play of interests, and the springs ofpassion, for the stupid club law of Father d'Aigrigny. He nearlycompromised everything--and yet he has good parts, knows the world, haspowers of seduction, quick insight--but plays ever in a single key, andis not great enough to make himself little. In his stead, I shall knowhow to make use of him. There is good stuff in the man. I availed myselfin time of the full powers given by the R. F. G.; I may inform Father
d'Aigrigny, in case of need, of the secret engagements taken by theGeneral towards myself. Until now, I have let him invent for thisinheritance the destination that you know of. A good thought, butunseasonable. The same end, by other means.
"The information was false. There are over two hundred millions. Shouldthe eventuality occur, what was doubtful must become certain. An immenselatitude is left us. The Rennepont business is now doubly mine, andwithin three months, the two hundred millions will be ours, by thefree will of the heirs themselves. It must be so; for this failing, thetemporal part would escape me, and my chances be diminished by one half.I have asked for full powers; time presses, and I act as if I hadthem. One piece of information is indispensable for the success of myprojects. I expect it from you, and I must have it; do you understandme? The powerful influence of your brother at the Court of Vienna willserve you in this. I wish to have the most precise details as to thepresent position of the Duke de Reichstadt--the Napoleon II. of theImperialists. Is it possible, by means of your brother, to open a secretcorrespondence with the prince, unknown to his attendants?
"Look to this promptly. It is urgent. This note will be sent off to day.I shall complete it to-morrow. It will reach you, as usual, by the handsof the petty shopkeeper."
At the moment when Rodin was sealing this letter within a doubleenvelope, he thought that he again heard a noise at the door. Helistened. After some silence, several knocks were distinctly audible.Rodin started. It was the first time any one had knocked at his door,since nearly a twelve-month that he occupied this room. Hastily placingthe letter in his great-coat pocket, the Jesuit opened the old trunkunder his bed, took from it a packet of papers wrapped in a tatteredcotton handkerchief, added to them the two letters in cipher he hadjust received, and carefully relocked the trunk. The knocking continuedwithout, and seemed to show more and more impatience. Rodin took thegreengrocer's basket in his hand, tucked his umbrella under his arm, andwent with some uneasiness to ascertain who was this unexpected visitor.He opened the door, and found himself face to face with Rose-Pompon, thetroublesome singer, and who now, with a light and pretty courtesy, saidto him in the most guileless manner in the world, "M. Rodin, if youplease?"
(23) On page 110 of Lamennais' Affaires de Rome, will be seen thefollowing admirable scathing of Rome by the most truly evangelicalspirit of our age: "So long as the issue of the conflict between Polandand her oppressors remained in the balances, the papal official organcontained not one word to offend the so long victorious nation; buthardly had she gone down under the Czar's atrocious vengeance, and thelong torture of a whole land doomed to rack, and exile, and servitudebegan, than this same journal found no language black enough to stainthose whom fortune had fled. Yet it is wrong to charge this unworthyinsult to papal power; it only cringes to the law which Russia lays downto it, when it says:
"'If you want to keep your own bones unbroken, bide where you are,beside the scaffold, and, as the victims pass, hoot at them!'"
(24) See Pope Gregory XVI.'s Encyclical Letter to the Bishops in France,1832.
(25) Hardly had the Sixteenth Gregory ascended the pontifical throne,than news came of the rising in Bologna. His first idea was to callthe Austrians, and incite the Sanfedist volunteer bands of fanatics.Cardinal Albini defeated the liberals at Cesena, where his followerspillaged churches, sacked the town, and ill-treated women. At Forli,cold-blooded murders were committed. In 1832 the Sanfedists (HolyFaithites) openly paraded their medals, bearing the heads of the Dukeof Modena and the Pope; letters issued by the apostolic confederation;privileges and indulgences. They took the following oath: "I. A. B.,vow to rear the throne and altar over the bones of infamous freedomshriekers, and exterminate these latter without pity for children'scries and women's tears." The disorders perpetrated by these marauderswent beyond all bounds; the Romish Court regularized anarchy andorganized the Sanfedists into volunteer corps, to which fresh privilegeswere granted. (Revue deux Mondes, Nov. 15th, 1844.--"La Revolution enItalie.")