I should certainly
hesitate----"
"As every Piedmontese always does," the dark
man interrupted sharply. "I don't know where
the vehemence and impatience lay, unless you
found them in the strings of meek petitions we
sent in. That may be vehemence for Tuscany or
Piedmont, but we should not call it particularly
vehement in Naples."
"Fortunately," remarked the Piedmontese,
"Neapolitan vehemence is peculiar to Naples."
"There, there, gentlemen, that will do!" the
professor put in. "Neapolitan customs are very
good things in their way and Piedmontese customs
in theirs; but just now we are in Tuscany,
and the Tuscan custom is to stick to the
matter in hand. Grassini votes for petitions and
Galli against them. What do you think, Dr.
Riccardo?"
"I see no harm in petitions, and if Grassini gets
one up I'll sign it with all the pleasure in life.
But I don't think mere petitioning and nothing
else will accomplish much. Why can't we have
both petitions and pamphlets?"
"Simply because the pamphlets will put the
government into a state of mind in which it won't
grant the petitions," said Grassini.
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