And somewhere down at the bottom
of his consciousness there was a great empty place;
a place that nothing and no one would fill any
more, now that the Gadfly was dead.
Someone was asking him a question, and he
raised his head, wondering what could be left that
was worth the trouble of talking about.
"What did you say?"
"I was saying that of course you will break the
news to her."
Life, and all the horror of life, came back into
Martini's face.
"How can I tell her?" he cried out. "You
might as well ask me to go and stab her. Oh,
how can I tell her--how can I!"
He had clasped both hands over his eyes; but,
without seeing, he felt the smuggler start beside
him, and looked up. Gemma was standing in the
doorway.
"Have you heard, Cesare?" she said. "It is
all over. They have shot him."
CHAPTER VIII.
"INTROIBO ad altare Dei." Montanelli stood
before the high altar among his ministers and acolytes
and read the Introit aloud in steady tones.
All the Cathedral was a blaze of light and colour;
from the holiday dresses of the congregation to
the pillars with their flaming draperies and wreaths
of flowers there was no dull spot in it.
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