He
stared back and confirmed his advice with a short nod which meant: You
suspect there is a mystery here, and indeed there is!
Benedetto examined the envelope. It bore the following address:
"For the Under-Gardener at Villa Mayda." And below, in larger letters:
"IMMEDIATE."
It was in a woman's hand, but Benedetto did not recognize it. He opened
the letter and read:
"This is to inform you that the Director-General of Police will do his
best to induce you to leave Rome of your own free-will. Refuse. You can
read what follows at your leisure."
Benedetto hurriedly replaced the letter, but as no one appeared, and
everything around him seemed to be asleep, he took it out again and read
on. It ran thus:
"Since your visits to the Vatican there has been much dissatisfaction
with the Holy Father. Among other things, he has withdrawn the Selva
affair from the Congregation of the Index. You can have no idea of the
intrigues which are being set on foot against you, of the calumnies
concerning you which are communicated even to your friends, and all
with the object of compelling you to leave Rome and preventing you from
seeing the Pontiff again.
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