against the leagued robbers of the road requires maturer consideration
elsewhere. This day shall be an epoch in our history."

"It shall," quoth Cecco del Vecchio, gruffly, between his teeth.

"Children, my blessing upon you all!" concluded the Vicar, spreading his
arms.

And in a few minutes more the crowd poured from the church. The
different servitors and flag-bearers ranged themselves on the steps
without, each train anxious for their master's precedence; and the
nobles, gravely collecting in small knots, in the which was no mixture
of rival blood, followed the crowd down the aisles. Soon rose again the
din, and the noise, and the wrangling, and the oaths, of the hostile
bands, as, with pain and labour, the Vicar's officers marshalled them in
"order most disorderly."

But so true were Montreal's words to Adrian, that the populace already
half forgot the young noble's generous appeal, and were only bitterly
commenting on the ungracious silence of his brother Lords. What, too, to
them was this crusade against the robbers of the road? They blamed
the good Bishop for not saying boldly to the nobles--"Ye are the first
robbers we must march against!" The popular discontents had gone far
beyond palliatives; they had arrived at that point when the people
longed less for reform than change. There are times when a revolution
cannot be warded off; it must come--come alike by resistance or
by concession. Wo to that race in which a revolution produces no
fruits!--in which the thunderbolt smites the high place, but does
not purify the air! To suffer in vain is often the lot of the
noblest individuals; but when a People suffer in vain, let them curse