The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-01
Matilde scrsos story Of Roman Life.

Matilde Serao's story. The Conquest Of
Rome" Harper 4 Bros). is an impression
of Roman life II tells Of the experiences
of "A young Deputy in the Italian Parla-
mcnt The Hon. Sangorgio comes up
from the South on a night train. He is
sleepless thinking of the approach of Rome
and Of the possibilities Of his impending
career. Attached to his watchchain he
wears a DapWy's medal. sent to him by the
qusstor of the Chamber. On starting
he had shown his medal to the guard who
with much respect had given him a whole
compartment to himself Now al the end
of a slecpless and chilly night he wishes
that he had moi exhibited his medal TO the
guard. NJ. Is sorry to I've alone. He has
n sort of fever and agne passing in the
early morning light through the melancholy
reaches OF the Roman Campagna. To his
establishment and disappoin'm he enters
Rome without seeing il. For twenty min
utos he has been in "A veritable spasm.
with his head out of The window, receiving
the damp smoke of The engine in his face.
watching for Rome and now the train
slows up and stops, and the guard says
Rome. and he has to believe him. though
seven hills and ought To l-' visible
Following the Hon. Sangiorgio from day
to-day, We have pictures of all sorts OF things
that are in Rome. He goes To the Parlia-
ment House in spirit of alteration, to the
great churches and the great ruins in per
fuuctory and fretful spirit. He looks at
several apartments ranging in price from
SIC to $50 month; each class il infinitely
described and We are made acquainted
with the andladies. the porteresses, the
manner Of service and the meaning Of
free entrance In the third chapter we
enter the glove shop Of the Via di Petra
and see Roman society buying gloves to
go to the opening of Parliament. some of
the gloves are two-button and some are
sixteen-button, and men wear evening
clothes in the gay morning sunlight. The
Hon. Sangiorgio follows n procession of
veterans of the bat ties OF Is4s and lsi9: so
does the Hon. Giustini. Deputy from Tus-
canv, and these two look down on Rome
from a dominating height, and the Hon.
Giustini having said that one to conquer
Rome must have heart of brass, an in.
flexible, rigid will; he must be young,
healthy, robust and bold. without ties and
without weaknesses" and having pro-
pounded the question, But who is to con-
quer her. this proud Rome?" the Hon. San
giorgio. pale, half-tremblng answers. i
will"
The Hon Sangiorgio was mistaken
He was a man Of power. but he had reck-
oned without the ladies'. He came out
very well in his affair with the Countess
Fianmanti, but he was quite vanquished
bv the Prime Minister'S wife, Donna
Angelica, who knew not how to love"
He went back TO his southern country
second-class because he was too poor to
90 frst-class. He had impoverished him
self furnishing a sumptuous apartment
for the reception of -the woman who knew
not how to love- As the train moved
out of the city which he had planned 10
conquer and which had conquered him he
looked from the window of the coach and
saw Rome. black. towering, stupendous,
on the seven hills flooded with light and
the wonder TO u, il If he could see it when
he went out why he could not have seen
II when he came in
The story is realism fanked with i'm
aginat ion. II is not cheerful: but even
Cuda il not cheerful in her Italian tales