Cardinal Francesco Albani, meantime, hastened through the streets with the sprightliness of youth. He noticed neither the respectful salutations and knee-bendings of those he passed, nor their visible shuddering and alarm when under the cardinal's hat they recognized the fierce and inhuman Francesco Albani.
He stopped before the palace of Cardinal Juan Angelo Braschi. The equipage of the new cardinal was drawn up before his door.
"Ah," gleefully remarked Albani, "he is therefore yet at home, and Ishall meet with him!"
Hastily entering the palace, and pushing past the servant who would have preceded him, he entered the cardinal's cabinet unannounced.
"Be not troubled, your eminence," said Albani, with a smile, "I will not detain you long. I know your habits, and know that Signora Malveda usually expects you at this hour, because Cardinal Rezzonico is not then with her! But I have something important to say to you. You know I am a man who, without forms and circumlocutions, always comes directly to the point. I do so now. You desire to be the successor of Ganganelli?"Braschi turned pale, and timidly cast down his eyes.
"Why are you shocked?" cried Albani. "Every cardinal hopes and wishes to become the father of Christendom--that is natural; I should also wish it for myself, but I know that that cannot be. I have permitted these lord cardinals who, in the conclave, invoke the Holy Spirit, to look too much into my cards. I was not so prudent as you, Braschi, and therefore you are much the more likely to become God's vicegerent!
Would you not like to be pope, if Ganganelli should happen to die? And how high would you hold my voice--how much would it be worth to you?""More than all I possess, infinitely more!" said the shrewd Braschi.
"Were I sure of your voice, I might then have a definite hope of becoming pope; for your voice carries many others with it. How, then, can you expect me to estimate what is inestimable?""Would you give me twenty thousand?" asked Albani.
"Threefold that sum if I possessed it, but I have nothing! I am a very poor cardinal, as you well know. My whole property consists of six thousand scudi, and that trifling sum I dare not offer you.""Borrow, then, of Signora Malveda!" said Albani. "Cardinal Rezzonico is rich and liberal. Let us speak directly to the point. You would be pope, and I am willing to forward your views. How much will you pay?""If Signora Malveda will lend me four thousand scudi, I should then have ten thousand to offer you!""Well, so be it. Ten thousand scudi will do, if you will add to it a trifling favor.""Name it," said Braschi.
"You know that Ganganelli opposes the crowning of our famous improvisatrice, Corilla, in the capitol. This is an injustice which Ganganelli's successor will have to repair. Will you do it?"Braschi gave the cardinal a sly glance. "Ah," said he, "Signora Corilla seems to be less liberal than Signora Malveda? She will allow you no discount of her future laurel-crown, is it not so? I know nothing worse than an ambitious woman. Listen, Albani; it seems that we must be mutually useful to each other; I need your voice to become pope, and you need mine to become a favored lover. Very well, give me your voice, and in return, I promise you a laurel-crown for Signora Corilla, and eight thousand scudi for yourself!""Ah, you would haggle!" contemptuously exclaimed Albani. "You would be a very niggardly vicegerent of God! But as Corilla is well worth two thousand scudi, I am content. Give me eight thousand scudi and the promise to crown Corilla!""As soon as I am pope, I will do both. My sacred word for it! Shall Istrengthen my promise by swearing upon the Bible?"Cardinal Albani gave the questioner a glance of astonishment, and then broke out with a loud and scornful laugh.
"You forget that you are speaking to one of your kind! Of what use would such a holy farce be to us who have no faith in its binding power? No, no, we priests know each other. Such buffoonery amounts to nothing. One written word is worth a thousand sworn oaths! Let us have a contract prepared--that is better. We will both sign it!""Just as you please!" said Braschi, with a smile, stepping to his writing desk and rapidly throwing some lines upon paper, which he signed after it had been carefully read by Albani.
"At length the business is finished," said Albani. "Now, Cardinal Braschi, go to your signora, and surprise her with the news that she holds in her arms a pope /in spe/. Pope Clement will soon need a successor; he must be very ill, the poor pope!"So speaking, he took leave of the future pope with a friendly nod, and departed with as much haste as he had come.
"And now to these pious Jesuit fathers!" said he, stepping out upon the grass. "It was very prudent in me that I went on foot to Corilla to-day. Our cursed equipages betray every thing; they are the greatest chatterboxes! How astonished these good Romans would be to see a cardinal's carriage before these houses of the condemned! No, no, strengthen yourselves for another effort, my reverend legs! Only yet this walk, and then you will have rest."And the cardinal trudged stoutly on until he reached the Jesuit college. There he stopped and looked cautiously around him.
"This unfortunate saintly dress is also a hindrance," murmured he.
