Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

ides, h"M have no need of it. From his childhood, Ilia
: fathe, ic, an athi
" '
Ernest,' I asked him one d.i y, '
if it were t
necessary
">ve an obstacle a man who was in your way would you
before any act of violence. let us Kay a murder '!'
" '
By no means, I assure you,' he coldly replied.
"'But if the man you were to strike WHS your own father
?'
" '
Well, what of that !' lie replied, with the same coldness.
'Still,' he continued with an infernal smile, 'assassination i.< a
el umsy process, to which it would bo difficult to tempt me to
Lave recourse, because it rarely succeeds. Believe me there
are other ways by which one strikes harder and revenges him-
'
self more safely.
"
So you see, Orazio, I had found my master. But I return
to my friend, Van Dormael. His chosen weapon was
calumny, with which he excelled, and with which he destroyed
and blackened at pleasure his friends and adversaries.
Still, he employed it oftenest, not so much against private
persons as against entire classes, Whom ho rendered suspected
or obnoxious in public opinion, placing them in a false
light. This was FO much the more easy to him, us he had nccesa
to the columns of several journals in which his infernal
malignity and cleverness, his great command of style and rare
power of invention, enabled him to pour poison, gall and
mud upon the wounds his scathing (iurts Lad caused mid
which nothing could cure. Above ail he attacked with most
violence, fury and acrimony, the men and things of God religion
and its ministers. Besides, he had been one of the
founders of the socie'.y of the Solidaires. Such, in fine, was
the friend I was to meet in Belgium, und who was undoubted-
ly sent to me byhcll.
" He presented me in all the circles in which he habitually
moved, in the recommendable houses in which he was received,
and, thanks to him, I was not slow to become acquainted
with the Morreu family, of whom I shall have occasion to
speak.
" The head of the family was a loyal libre pcnscur, an old,
obstinate philosophe who proudly pretended to keep his reason
strong and free, independent of every prejudice and exempt
from all restraint. Despite all our efforts and all our
persuasions, he had firmly refused to submit to the yoke of
Freemasonry, which he said Lad only bonds and slavery to
offer him, as displeasing and unacceptable in every respect as
those the precepts of Christianity could impose upon him.
But, for the rest, we knew well that, though refusing to join,
Le would never oppose us ; so we were content to see him
remain as he was independent philosophe, obstinate libre
penseur.
"But as to Lia Bon Victor, whom old Morren left entirely
free to select the faith and dogmas that suited him, and who
was educated under the eyes of a pious mother, he opposed an
obstinate and absolute resistance to all our efforts, all our solicitations,
despite our zeal and perseverance. We were even
quite resolved to leave him thenceforward iu peace, when a
fortuitous circumstance occurred, which changed the indifference
I had until then felt towards Victor into a deadly, implacable
hatred.
"One we met at the old phttosopJic' a one of his nephews,
a mad devotee, who had come to tell his uuolc of
ment in the Pontifical army
his engage-
and his departure for Italy. Our
projects, our hopes, the grand and holy cause of fatherland
then came in question ; I defended it as long and as well as 1
could. But, being quite out of myself in a strange house, I
was at last, by courtesy, c nstraincd to beat a retreat before
that Joseph, that young maniac whom his cousin Victor supported
, and I left that bouse in a state of indescribable rage
and fury.
"Unfortunately, that was not all. That young bigot, Joseph
h':d prevailed on his cousin Victor to accompany him,
.e old philosophe foolishly allowed his son to carry out
his resolution. I then decided to abandon Belgixim and return
to Rome, where I hoped to find an opportunity of pon-
A DOl J.I.I' A.f /,'/. 33
iarding those t\vo dreamers.
" Cndeod, I v.: in meeting Victor in Home. It was
him, him particularly I wi:;l.cd to strike. If I wero lucky
h to see him fall under my poniard, I could easily abandon
his friend to one of my accomplices. I easily prevailed
upon my victim to :i