of all, that if the day should pass without any election taking place,
the end of it might very well be a riot; therefore, in proportion as the
time advanced, the agitation grew greater. Nine o'clock, half-past nine,
a quarter to ten struck, without anything happening to confirm or destroy
their hopes. At last the first stroke of ten was heard; all eyes turned
towards the chimney: ten o'clock struck slowly, each stroke vibrating in
the heart of the multitude. At last the tenth stroke trembled, then
vanished shuddering into space, and, a great cry breaking simultaneously
frog a hundred thousand breasts followed the silence "Non v'e fumo!
There is no smoke!" In other words, "We have a pope."

At this moment the rain began to fall; but no one paid any attention to
it, so great were the transports of joy and impatience among all the
people. At last a little stone was detached from the walled window which
gave on the balcony and upon which all eyes were fixed: a general shout
saluted its fall; little by little the aperture grew larger, and in a few
minutes it was large enough to allow a man to come out on the balcony.

The Cardinal Ascanio Sforza appeared; but at the moment when he was on
the point of coming out, frightened by the rain and the lightning, he
hesitated an instant, and finally drew back: immediately the multitude in
their turn broke out like a tempest into cries, curses, howls,
threatening to tear down the Vatican and to go and seek their pope
themselves. At this noise Cardinal Sforza, more terrified by the popular
storm than by the storm in the heavens, advanced on the balcony, and
between two thunderclaps, in a moment of silence astonishing to anyone
who had just heard the clamour that went before, made the following
proclamation:

"I announce to you a great joy: the most Eminent and most Reverend Signor