\"Yes，hehassoughtsuchcomfortinanotherloveasthehardcruelworldwouldallowhim。\"
\"Orperhapssomethingmorethanthat，\"saidMackinnon。\"HehasafamilyhereinRome，youknow；twolittlebabies。\"
\"Iknowit，Iknowit，\"shesaid。\"Cherubangels！\"andasshespokeshelookedupintotheuglyfaceofMarcusAurelius；fortheywerestandingatthemomentunderthefigureofthegreathorsemanontheCampidoglio。\"Ihaveseenthem，andtheyarethechildrenofinnocence。IfallthebloodofalltheHowardsranintheirveinsitcouldnotmaketheirbirthmorenoble！\"
\"NotifthefatherandmotherofalltheHowardshadneverbeenmarried，\"saidMackinnon。
\"What；thatfromyou，Mr。Mackinnon！\"saidMrs。Talboys，turningherbackwithenergyupontheequestrianstatue，andlookingupintothefaces，firstofPolluxandthenofCastor，asthoughfromthemshemightgainsomeinspirationonthesubjectwhichMarcusAureliusinhiscoldnesshaddeniedtoher。\"Fromyou，whohavesonoblyclaimedformankindthedivineattributesoffreeaction！Fromyou，whohavetaughtmymindtosoarabovethepettybondswhichonemaninhislittlenesscontrivesforthesubjectionofhisbrother。
Mackinnon！youwhoaresogreat！\"Andshenowlookedupintohisface。\"Mackinnon，unsaythosewords。\"
\"TheyAREillegitimate，\"saidhe；\"andiftherewasanylandedproperty\"
\"Landedproperty！andthatfromanAmerican！\"
\"ThechildrenareEnglish，youknow。\"
\"Landedproperty！Thetimewillshortlycomeay，andIseeitcomingwhenthathatefulwordshallbeexpungedfromthecalendar；
whenlandedpropertyshallbenomore。What！shallthefreesoulofaGod-bornmansubmititselfforevertosuchtrammelsasthat？
Shallweneverescapefromtheclaywhichsolonghasmanacledthesubtlerparticlesofthedivinespirit？Ay，yes，Mackinnon；\"andthenshetookhimbythearm，andledhimtothetopofthehugestepswhichleaddownfromtheCampidogliointothestreetsofmodernRome。\"Lookdownuponthatcountlessmultitude。\"Mackinnonlookeddown，andsawthreegroupsofFrenchsoldiers，withthreeorfourlittlemenineachgroup；hesaw，also，acoupleofdirtyfriars，andthreepriestsveryslowlybeginningthesideascenttothechurchoftheAraCoeli。\"Lookdownuponthatcountlessmultitude，\"saidMrs。Talboys，andshestretchedherarmsoutoverthehalf-desertedcity。\"Theyareescapingnowfromthesetrammels，now，now，nowthatIamspeaking。\"
\"Theyhaveescapedlongagofromallsuchtrammelsasthatoflandedproperty，\"saidMackinnon。
\"Ay，andfromallterrestrialbonds，\"shecontinued，notexactlyremarkingthepithofhislastobservation；\"frombondsquasi-
terrestrialandquasi-celestial。Thefull-formedlimbsofthepresentage，runningwithquickstreamsofgenerousblood，willnolongerbeartheligatureswhichpasttimeshavewovenforthedecrepit。Lookdownuponthatmultitude，Mackinnon；theyshallallbefree。\"Andthen，stillclutchinghimbythearm，andstillstandingatthetopofthosestairs，shegaveforthherprophecywiththefuryofaSybil。
\"Theyshallallbefree。Oh，Rome，thoueternalone！thouwhohastbowedthynecktoimperialprideandpriestlycraft；thouwhohastsufferedsorely，eventothishour，fromNerodowntoPioNono，thedaysofthineoppressionareover。GonefromthyenfranchisedwaysforeveristheclangofthePraetoriancohortsandthemoreodiousdroneofmeddlingmonks！\"Andyet，asMackinnonobserved，therestillstoodthedirtyfriarsandthesmallFrenchsoldiers；andtherestilltoiledtheslowpriests，wendingtheirtediouswayuptothechurchoftheAraCoeli。Butthatwasthemundaneviewofthematter，aviewnotregardedbyMrs。Talboysinherecstasy。\"O
Italia，\"shecontinued，\"OItaliauna，oneandindivisibleinthyrights，andindivisiblealsointhywrongs！tousisitgiventoseetheaccomplishmentofthyglory。ApeopleshallarisearoundthinealtarsgreaterintheannalsoftheworldthanthyScipios，thyGracchi，orthyCaesars。Notintorrentsofblood，orwithscreamsofbereavedmothers，shallthynewtriumphsbestained。Butmindshalldominateovermatter；anddoomed，togetherwithPopesandBourbons，withcardinals，diplomatists，andpolicespies，ignoranceandprejudiceshallbedrivenfromthysmilingterraces。AndthenRomeshallagainbecomethefaircapitalofthefairestregionofEurope。Hithershallflocktheartisansoftheworld，crowdingintothymartsallthatGodandmancangive。Wealth，beauty，andinnocenceshallmeetinthystreets\"
\"Therewillbeaconsiderablechangebeforethattakesplace，\"saidMackinnon。
\"Thereshallbeaconsiderablechange，\"sheanswered。\"Mackinnon，totheeitisgiventoreadthesignsofthetime；andhastthounotread？WhyhavethefieldsofMagentaandSolferinobeenpiledwiththecorpsesofdyingheroes？WhyhavethewatersoftheMincioranredwiththebloodofmartyrs？ThatItalymightbeunitedandRomeimmortal。Here，standingontheCapitoliumoftheancientcity，I
saythatitshallbeso；andthou，Mackinnon，whohearestme，knowestthatmywordsaretrue。\"
TherewasnottheninRome，ImayalmostsaytherewasnotinItaly，anEnglishmanoranAmericanwhodidnotwishwelltothecauseforwhichItalywasandisstillcontending；asalsothereishardlyonewhodoesnotnowregardthatcauseaswell-nightriumphant；but，nevertheless，itwasalmostimpossibletosympathisewithMrs。Talboys。AsMackinnonsaid，sheflewsohighthattherewasnocomfortinflyingwithher。
\"Well，\"saidhe，\"Brownandtherestofthemaredownbelow。Shallwegoandjointhem？\"
\"PoorBrown！Howwasitthat，inspeakingofhistroubles，wewereledontothisheart-stirringtheme？Yes，Ihaveseenthem，thesweetangels；andItellyoualsothatIhaveseentheirmother。I
insistedongoingtoherwhenIheardherhistoryfromhim。\"
\"Andwhatisshelike，Mrs。Talboys？\"
\"Well；educationhasdonemoreforsomeofusthanforothers；andtherearethosefromwhosemoralsandsentimentswemightthankfullydrawalesson，whosemannersandoutwardgesturesarenotsuchascustomhasmadeagreeabletous。You，Iknow，canunderstandthat。
Ihaveseenher，andfeelsurethatsheispureinheartandhighinprinciple。Hasshenotsacrificedherself；andisnotself-
sacrificethesurestguaranteefortruenobilityofcharacter？
WouldMrs。Mackinnonobjecttomybringingthemtogether？\"