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‘This is outrageous! An American has been beaten half
to death and thrown into prison and you make no move to
help.’
‘Just a minute, Mrs—‘
‘I’ve waited long enough. You come right down to the jail
and get him out!’
‘Mrs—‘
‘We’re people of considerable standing in America—‘
Her mouth hardened as she continued. ‘If it wasn’t for the
scandal we can—I shall see that your indifference to this
matter is reported in the proper quarter. If my brother-in-
law were a British citizen he’d have been free hours ago, but
you’re more concerned with what the police will think than
about what you’re here for.’
‘Mrs.—‘
‘You put on your hat and come with me right away.’
The mention of his hat alarmed the Consul who began to
clean his spectacles hurriedly and to ruffle his papers. This
proved of no avail: the American Woman, aroused, stood
over him; the cleansweeping irrational temper that had bro-
ken the moral back of a race and made a nursery out of a
continent, was too much for him. He rang for the vice-con-
sul—Baby had won.
Dick sat in the sunshine that fell profusely through the
guard-room window. Collis was with him and two carabin-
ieri, and they were waiting for something to happen. With
the narrowed vision of his one eye Dick could see the cara-
binieri; they were Tuscan peasants with short upper lips and
he found it difficult to associate them with the brutality of

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