In all probability he was really ill, more or less, as
Signor Logarini said, and living under the government of the Holy
Father, it was necessary to treat ecclesiastical personages with a
greater degree of consideration than might have been accorded to
such under similar circumstances on the other side of the frontier
between the territory of the church and Austria.
Despite the friar's illness, however, Fra Simone, the lay-brother,
had once or twice been observed lately in Ravenna. He was seen
sauntering through the streets with his long linen wallet over his
shoulder, stopping at a corner for a little gossip here, and
receiving a contribution to the store in his bag from some friar-
loving devout old woman there. There was nothing remarkable in such
a sight in the streets of Ravenna in any way. Only Fra Simone was
very rarely seen there. And when Signor Pietro Logarini, without
whose knowledge scarcely a cat stirred abroad in Ravenna, was told
of the circumstance, he said to himself that the Padre Fabiano was
interested in knowing what people said and thought of the coming
trial.
Signor Fortini had in the meantime, not without infinite difficulty
succeeded in persuading the Marchese that he must bring himself to
submit to the ordeal of being present in the court on the occasion
of the trial.
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