Secrets of the Courts of Europe
An Old Ambassador’s Revelations of the
Inner History of Famous Episodes
Heretofore Cloaked in Mystery
Chronicled by ALLEN UPWARD
THE TOMB IN THE VATICAN
“It is a statement which you will
constantly see repeated in the Euro
pean press, ’ said the ambassador with
marked intonation, “that Monaco is
the smallest state in Europe. It is
nothing of the kind. The smallest state
in Europe at present is the Vatican.’’
“The Vatican! But that is an abode
—a building!”
“You are an Englishman, and of
course ignorant of matters w’hich are
of vital interest to two-thirds of
Europe. Nevertheless you must sure
ly be aware that the holy father,
under the Italian law of papal guar
anties, retains his rank as a sovereign,
and that the inviolability of the Vati
can is expressly recognized. No offi
cial of the Italian government can
enter its doors for any conceivable
purpose without the PoDe's permission.
It is not considered part of the Italian
territory; in other words it is an in
dependent state, within whose limits
Pius X is as absolute as the czar of
Russia.
“The Catholic powers of Europe, it
Is well known, are represented at the
papal court by ambassadors, who are
entirely distinct from those accredited
to the Quirinal. France, although gov
erned by freethinkers, has continued
to observe this custom, which is due
to her positioji as protector of the
Latin Christians in the east; and I
assure you that during my mission
to the Vatican I was most devout,
"It was my good fortune to be hon
ored with the particular confidence of
Pto Nono, for it is by that name that
Plus X was universally known in his
lifetime. He was a remarkable pope.
Believe me, no one but a very great
man could have maintained the pres
tige of the papacy unshaken as he
did through the misfortunes which
afflicted it during his long reign.
"The only thing which embarrassed
me in Rome was the necessity which
I was under, in my character of ambas
sador to the Holy See, of strictly
avoiding all intercourse with the court
of King Victor Emmanuel. The severe
estrangement which prevailed be
tween the papacy and the kingdom of
Italy was later illustrated by the ad
venture of the poor King of Portugal,
.^wtMr-found himself obliged to quit
Rome without visiting either the pope
or the king, as he could not show re
spect to one without giving umbrage
to the other.
'In spite of these restraints I
formed the acquaintance in private of
several persons who were in touch
with the Quirinal. Among these was
a certain Count Gulielmo Vescaro.
"Vescaro was a man who appeared
to be of good family, and he was suffi
ciently polite and well-informed to be
an agreeable companion. He was also
moderately well off for an Italian,
where the people are poorer than any
where else in the world, except in
Athens. In spite of these advantages,
I perceived before very long that he
was unpopular, but I found no reason
for dropping his acquaintance.
"One taste Vescaro and 1 possessed
in common, this was a passion for
gems of all kinds, but especially cam
eos and intaglios. The members of the
Italian nobility are distinguished for
their interest in curiosities of this
sort. The heirs of 2,000 years of civ
ilization, they find the same fascina
tion in a rare medal or antique that
our young men find in a new dancer
at the theaters, or that you English
do in a bulldog or a prize fight.
“It was inevitable that I should take l
advantage of my mission to study
the famous collections of the Vatican.
There is no other museum in Europe
to be compared with this of the popes,
in which they have been accumulating
treasures for centuries, and which is
continually being added to at the pres
ent day. 1 spent many hours every week
in exploring its recesses, and in con
versing with Monsignor Perratti, a
very learned Jesuit, who had the
superintendency of the department
of antiquities.
“On several occasions I happened to
meet my friend the count as I was on
my way to the museum, and pressed
him to accompany me. But he invari
ably declined.
“ ‘I have reasons, which I do not
care to speak about, for not wishing
to be seen in the Vatican,' he said to
me on one of these occasions, when I
had permitted myself to be rather im
portunate. ‘During the period before
the holy father was deprived of the
temporal power, I served in the papal
troops, and his holiness has perhaps
resented my subsequent adhesion to
the house or Savoy. At all events I
am not willing to expose myself to the
risk of being told that my presence
in the Vatican is considered an in
trusion.'
“I could not but respect Vescaro
for his delicacy, though it seemed
to me misplaced, as the museum of the
Vatican was quite a public place, to
■which the whole world was in the
habit of coming. In my next conver
sation with Monsignor Perratti x re
ferred to the subject.
"Ah" He gave a perceptible
start, and regarded me curiously for
a moment. ‘Do you know anything
about this gentleman?’ was all he
said.
“ ‘Nothing except what he has told
me, that is to say, that he formerly
held a commission under the holy
father.
“ 'True, I remember the name. But
the count is entirely mistaken. He is
perfectly at liberty to come here when
ever he pleases.’
“I thanked the good father for his
permission, which I did not fail to
communicate to Vescaro the next
time I was in his house.
"He appeared somewhat surprised
at it.
"Thank you for your kind inten
tions,’ he said stiffly, 'but all the same
I do not propose to avail myself of
Monsignor Perratti’s permission. At
least 1 will think it over.
"There was nothing more to be
done, and I did not refer to the sub
ject again. Monsignor Perratti was
good enough to ask me, when he found
me in the museum a few dayB after,
why my friend had not come with me,
but I put him off with an excuse.
“Some weeks had passed, and I had
forgotten all about the incident, when,
as 1 entered the museum one after
noon, I was met by the worthy Jesuit
in a state of great excitement.
‘“Ah, Excellency!’ he exclaimed, as
soon as he caught sight of%ne, 1 have
something to tell you which will give
you the greatest delight. A new treas
ure has just arrived; it is a coflection
of ancient seals, some of them most
exquisitely engraved, which Cardinal
Salvatierra has presented to the pope.
You must positively come and see
them at once.'
Charmed by^ his intelligence, x
hastened tc place myself at his dis
posal. He led me a long way into a
part ot the building where I had never
before penetrated. After going through
innumerable rooms, all tilled with val
uable curiosities of different kinds, we
arrived at last in a long deserted gal
lery with bare walls, to which light
was admitted by means of a skylight
overhead. The obscurity of the gallery
was further relieved by the entire end
wall being made a mirror, which re
flected back the light from the roof.
All down this gallery were ranged
tables, supporting the cases with glass
lids usually seen In museums, and in
these cases were displayed sets of
coins and other interesting objects.
"But my conductor would not let
me pause to examine them. At the far
end of the gallery—whose apparent
length was increased by the mirror
I have described—I perceived a man
standing in front of one of the cases,
the contents of which he appeared to
be setting in order.
“‘It is the cardinal himself!’ ex
claimed Monsignor Perratti. 'We are
fortunate. He is just arranging the
seals.’
"His Eminence, with whom I was
already acquainted, turned around to
greet me as I came up, and kindly
offered to show me his famous col
lection. But how can I describe these
things to you? They were indeed price
less. One in particular, an onyx en
graved with the head of Vespasian,
was one of those objects for the sake
of which one commits murders!
"I thought I should never have torn
myself away from the gallery. But the
cardinal, who was all goodness, prom
ised to meet me there again, and to
renew his lecture on these fascinating
gems. At the same time Monsignor
Perratti remarked:
“ ‘You ought really to bring that
poor count of yours to inspect these
seals. Without doubt they would in
terest him as much as they do you.’
“ ’The Count; who is that?’ inquired
Salvatierra, turning to me. I explained
the allusion. His Eminence at once
became interested.
" ‘I remember Count Vescaro very
well indeed,' he said In a tone of
marked cordiality. 'He is indeed a man
to whom these gems ought to be
shown. There Is no more accomplished
judge of such things in Rome. I
should like you to assure him that
such is my opinion, and that I shall
feel it a particular favor if he will
honor my little collection with a visit.’
" I will give him your kind mes
sage, Cardinal,’ I replied. 'Without
doubt it will remove his last scruples.’
“ 'Very good; I shall expect to see
him here within the next few days.’
“I bowed and took my leave, feeling,
perhaps, a little chagrin at the im
portance which appeared to be at
tached to Vescaro’s opinion.
‘‘However, I found myself at his
house that night, and just before I
came away I finally repeated the flat
tering messages with which I had been
charged by Cardinal Salvatierra. Ves
caro listened with a certain preoccu
pation.
'• ‘Salvatierra?’ he murmured,
thoughtfully. 'That is not a name
which I remember.'
“ ‘The cardinal did aot say that you
were known to him personally, but
merely that he had heard of your
reputation,’ I explained.
“ ‘Yes, but that was not what 1 was
thinking of. You have not told me
1 what the seals were like.
“I saw that he was hesitating, and
at once commenced an eloquent do
scrlptlon of the cardinal's treasures.
When I came to the onyx of Vespasian,
I could see he was moved. All men
have their fatal weakness; Vescaro's
was the mania of a connoisseur of
antiques. By this time I had learned
something of his base character from
his injured wife. He was unworthy
of that noble woman, whom he would
have sold for the worst of Salva
tierra's seals.’*
The ambassador spoke with real in
dignation. It was in a calmer tone
that he continued:^,
‘'Vescaro ended '*>y deciding to go
and see the gems. But he made it a
stipulation that I should go with him,
and he attached a strange importance
to this condition which I could not
understand.
“A day or two after he called at
the embassy, as had been arranged,
for me to take him to the museum.
“On the threshold of the Vatican he
literally carried out his stipulation of
taking my arm, and I could even feel
his own trembling as we passed before
the Swiss guard who were on duty
at the entrance. More than ever as
tonished at these fears. I drew him
on through the building towards the
distant quarter in which the gallery
was situated.
"’Where are you taking me?’ he
d°manded in a tone of uneasiness,
after we had crossed at least a dozen
saloon and corridors.
“ ‘To the gallery in which the seals
have been placed, of course,’ I re
turned, irritated at so much caution.
‘Did you not wish to see them?'
“The count made no answer, except
to mutter a curse on the gallery for
being in such an inaccessible spot.
“However, we reached it at length,
and were fortunate enough to find j
Salvatierra there, with a Dominican
friar, who held a delicate camel's-hair
"But, Your Emipence, Thi» ia a Forgery!"
brush in his hand, and appeared to
be assisting the cardinal in dusting
his gems.
“I at once presented Vescaro to his
Eminence, who received him with well
bred ease. Vescaro was obliged to
quit his hold of my arm to return the
cardinal’s bow, but he seemed to do
so with decided reluctance; and I ob
served him subjecting the Dominican
to a scrutiny of which the good father
appeared to be perfectly unconscious.
“But no sooner had Salvaillerra led
the way to his case than Vescaro's un
easiness disappeared in an overmas
tering transport of admiration. He bent
over the table, he lifted each of the
seals separately and examined it with
the minutest care.* I, who had seen
them before, took advantage of his
absorption to glance at some of the
other objects in the gallery. There
was a large Egyptian statue placed
against the wall opposite, which I had
not observed on my last visit, and I
also noticed a curious little Buddhist
idol fixed on a bracket further down
towards the end of the gallery.
“While I was idly gazing at these
things, I heard an exclamation from
Vescaro.
“ ‘But your Eminence, this is a
forgery!’
“I looked and saw him holding up to
the light the famous Vespasian onyx.
Salvatierra almost snatched it from
him.
“ Never! What you say is impos
sible!’ he exclaimed. ‘Come this way;
there is more light.’
"And he moved down the gallery
towards the mirror, followed by the
excited Vescaro and the Dominican.
“At this moment I felt a soft touch
on my arm. I turned round with a
start, and perceived Monsignor Per
ratti, who had come up so noiselessly
that I had not heard his footsteps.
“ 'My dear Ambassador, I have made
a discovery which I have been waiting
to show you for days,’ he murmured
in a low voice. 'Cotne this way. It
is a great secret. It is an illuminated
French manuscript of the eleventh
century, and I believe the only one in
existence.’
“While he was making these obser
vations he had drawn me to a cabinet
standing iu an alcove off the gallery.
This cabinet he unlocked with fever
lsh haste, and produced the manu
script. It appeared to be as great a
treasure as he supposed, but I am no
judge of such things, and I was obliged
to confess my ignorance.
“He pretended not to believe me
at first, and expressed great disap
pointment when he found I was really
unable to decipher it for him. At last
he reluctantly put the manuscript
away again, and I turned round to
look for my companion.
“To my surprise, he was not to be
seen. The Dominican was there in
front of the case of seals, using his
little brush, and the cardinal was ad
vancing towards me with a vexed
look upon his face.
“ ‘I cannot think how your friend
can believe my onyx to be a forgery,'
he said. 'I suppose it will be perfectly
safe in his hands?"
" ‘What does your Eminence mean?'
I exclaimed. ‘Where is Vescaro?’
“Salvatierra gave a stare of surprise
“‘Did you not see him go away?
Tell me, was it by any chance im
prudent to entrust him with my
Vespasian seal?’
“ 'Your Eminence has entrusted him
with the onyx! That man'.’
“I could say no more. The cardinal's
face reproached me too strongly for
not having warned him against the
count. I parted from them hurriedly,
left the museum, and went straight
to Vescaro's address.
“I cannot say that f was surprised
to find that he had not returned. I
waited for him till the hour grew so
late that I feared to compromise the
countess, and then came away, unable
to disguise from myself the suspicions
which were in my mind.
“The next day nothing was heard of
Vescaro. The affair began to get wind,
and I was dismayed to find how easily
every one assumed that he had been
guilty of embezzling the cardinal's
priceless gem.
"The next day I learnt that the mat
ter was in the hands of the police,
who no longer believed that Vescaro
had disappeared of his own accord,
but entertained the idea that he had
been secretly murdered. A strict in
vestigation was made. Cardinal Cal
vatierra and the Dominican volun
teered their evidence as to the cir
cumstances under which the missing
man had left the Vatican, and 1 added
my testimony to theirs.
"For some days the police pursued
their inquiries with great zeal, but
without throwing any fresh light upon
Vescaro's fate. Then an extraordinary
change took place in their attitude.
They dropped the investigation as sud
denly as they had taken it up, and
seemed content to let the whole affair
sink into oblivion.
"All this time you must not sup
pose that I suffered any real uneasi
ness. I was assured of my own in
tegrity towards the missing count,
and besides, as an ambassador, my
person was of course inviolate.
“When, therefore, 1 learnt of the1
strange behavior of the Italian au
thorities, I saw that it was necessary
for me to take this matter into my own
hands. This was by no means the first
investigation of the kind which I had
undertaken, as you know. Aided by my
past experience, I resolved to set about
it in a calm, methodical manner.
"The first step in my investigation
was clear before me. It was neces
sary that I should dismiss for the
moment all theories turning on the
loss of the seal of Vespasian. All the
other circumstances in the case
pointed to the fact that Vescaro had
some secret enemy in the Vatican,
and that this enemy had seized the
opportunity of the count’s presence
to inflict the vengeance which he had
evidently dreaded beforehand.
“More ttan ever resolved to sift this
frightful affair to the bottom, I set
out that very afternoon for the scene
of the count's disappearance. I entered
the museum, traversed the apartments
I nave already described, without be
ing perceived by any one, and quickly
fouud myself in the fatal gallery.
”1 went straight to the case contain
ing the Salvatierra collection. My first
glance at its contents made me turn
pale. There, reposing in a place ot
honor in the center oi the other gems,
was the onyx engraved with the pro
file of Vespasian!
"It was now for the first time that
a light began to break upon my mind.
To you, who hear only the circum
stances which I have been obliged to
mention in making my story clear.
It has, no doubt, been easy to guess
the solution all along. 1 can only say
that till I saw the seal there in its
place, as if nothing had happened,
not the faintest suspicion of the truth
had entered my mind.
■'The person who had restored that
seal to its place must, of course, be in
possession of the secret of Vescaro s
fate. And that person could be equally
only one man—Cardinal Salvatierra.
"At last I began to perceive the
manner in which I had been duped.
The last I had seen of Vescaro was
when he was walking towards the
end of the gallery with the seal in
his hand, followed by Salvatierra and
the Dominican. I had only the cardin
al’s assurance—his suggestion rather
—that the count had ever returned:
"Stunned by this blow, I turned a
glance towards the end wall, which I
have already described as being cov
ered with a mirror, which gave a de
ceptive appearance to the length of
the gallery. 1 started, and gave vent
to a stifled cry. This wall was close
to, almost touching the case which
contained the seals.
"I rubbed my eyes and stared. Mow,
if this were so. could I have seen Ves
caro and the two others walk off in
that direction? I gazed round dis
tractedly searching for something to
eniighten me. I observed the Egyptian
statue still in its place, though it, also,
now appeared to be standing close
up against the end wall. I looked
further for the Buddhist idol on its
bracket. It was nowhere to be seen!
I became positive—yes, the bracket
supporting the idol was farther along
the wall which I now beheld was a
false one, which could be withdrawn
at will, leaving space beyond!
The trap once closed, no doubt
there had been men waiting to rush
out and secure the prisoner, while
Salvatierra and the Dominican
perhaps a familiar of the holy office—
had made their way back by some
secret passage.
1 made a Drier exaiumauun ui me
walla of the gallery, and found what I
expected. Immediately behind the
Egyptian statue was a panel, which
sounded hollow to my knock. It was
no doubt opened by a secret spring,
and the statue had been placed there
to conceal the opening.
"There was no more for me to do in
the gallery, and I came away. Hut 1
had not yet ascertained Vescaro'a
ultimate fate.
“The evidence was supplied to me
almost by accident. On quitting the
museum I turned into the grounds of
the Vatican, where 1 had special priv
ileges as an ambassador to the court,
and which I had never properly ex
plored. The vast extent of these
grounds is well known, and I wan
dered on idly till I came to what ap
peared to be a disused cemetery, hid
den in a remote corner. Guided, per
haps, by an intuition, I passed into
this little burial ground, in which 1
had not walked far before I perceived
in front of mo what had the aspect
of a newly-made grave. I stepped hast
ily forward, and on a small stone
which had been placed at tbe head
1 read the inscription in Latin:
‘Pray for the Soul of
G. V.'
“There could be no longer any
doubt. I beheld the tomb of Gulielmo
Vescaro!
“I went straight to the palace of
Cardinal Salvatierra, and requested
his Eminence to hear my confession.
“At first he seemed to think that I
had taken leave of my senses.
“ 'But, Signor Ambassador, the mem
bers of the Sacred college do not re
ceive confessions,’ he said with haugh
tiness. 'It is some pious Jesuit to
whom you require to go.'
“ ‘On this occasion it is not so,' I
responded firmly. 'The sin which I
have to confess is a very heinous one.
I have been guilty of suspecting a
prince of the church of a terrible
crime.’
“I saw the cardinal change color.
He hesitated for a moment, and then
said:
" 'The sin which you have commit
ted is indeed heinous. In this case
I agree to hear your confession.’
•‘Without waiting for more I com
menced, and related the whole affair
exactly as I have done to you. The
cardinal listened to me in perfect
silence. At the close he assigned me
a nominal penance, pronounced the
usual absolution, and dismissed me.
“I came away, with the feeling that
I had gained nothing by my bold step.
My intention, of course, had beeu to
give him the opportunity of making an
explanation. However, I reproached
myself without reason.
“The next morning an officer of
the Noble Guard arrived at the em
bassy. bearing the pope’s command
for me to wait upon his holiness forth
with. I was plunged into confusion
by this message, which I did not know
whether to regard as favorable or
the reverse. I could only obey; and
as soon as I had exchanged my or
dinary dress for 'my court uniform,
I got into the state carriage of the
embassy, and drove to the Vatican.
“There I was received, to my aston
ishment, by Cardinal Salvatierra him
self, who greeted me with distin
guished cordiality, and conducted me
straight into the presence of the pope.
“Only those who have had the priv
ilege of being received by the great
pontiff, can realize the awe which it
was in his power to inspire on such
occasions. No other monarch whom
1 nave ever met was capable of such
extremes of dignity and urbanity.
When it pleased him he could be the
most fascinating of companions, at
other moments his frown struck like
death.
• I advanced trembling, and knelt
respectfully before his holiness, who
was surrounded by a gorgeous suite.
As soon as he had received my formal
homage, and had inquired after the
health of the French president, the
pope dismissed everybody except Sal
vatierra. He then commanded me to
rise, and addressed me:
“‘I have sent for your Excellency,’
he said, 'not in your capacity as Am
bassador of France, but in that of a
son of the Church. 1 have been in
formed that you were an acquaintance
of a certain man called Count Gullel
mo Vescaro, and I have believed it
possible that you may be uneasy in
your mind with regard to his fate.
Am I right in this?'
“I bowed, and darted a look at Sal
vatierra. But his Eminence remained
without any sign of consciousness.
The Holy Father proceeded:
" 'I have, therefore, determined to
give you certain information which,
as a loyal Catholic, you will know how
to respect. To begin with, have you
been told that the man Vescaro was
formerly an officer in my service?*
“I bowed once more.
" 'Do you know how he came to
quit my service, and to be in receipt
of a pension from the king of Sardin
ia, who styles himself king of Italy?'
'• '1 do not, your Holiness.'
“ ‘It is that which 1 desire to tell
you. You are familiar with the cir
cumstances under which the king ob
tained possession of the city of Home,
which has belonged to the Holy See
for 1,500 years. The moment the gar
rison of your brave countrymen was
withdrawn in consequence of the mis
fortunes of the year 1870 the brigands
employed by Victor Emmanuel
marched against my territories. In
the exercise of my rights as a sov
ereign, I resolved to resist them, and
I ordered my troops to defend the
gates of Rome. Vescaro was that
one of my officers in whcyn 1 placed
the greatest confidence, and l assigned
to him the most Important post, the
Porta del Popolo Under him was a
lieutenant, by name Andrea Chigl, a
cadet of one of the most illustrious
Roman families.
“ 'These two officers, with their men,
were on duty when the advance guard
of the enemy appeared in front of the
gatfe. Chigi demanded the word to
fire. Vescaro refused to give it, and
at once proposed to hoist the white
flag in token of surrender. Enraged
at this cowardice. Chigi turned to the
men to Invite them to fire, when Ves
caro, drawing his sword, ran the brave
young man through the -0*
next moment the white flag was
hoisted, the Sardinian troops entered
Rome without a shot having been fired,
and the dominions of the Holy See
were reduced to this palace.
" ‘Directly afterwards it was dis
covered that Vescaro'B conduct was
premeditated. He had accepted a
bribe from the Sardinian government
to betray my capital into their hands.
"There was solemn silence for a few
moments Then the pope 3poke again:
'' 'We have lost Rome, but within
these walls the pope is still a sov
ereign. Immediately after the events
I have referred to, I constituted a
tribunal to judge Vescaro, and he was
summoned to take his trial. He re
fused to come, and from the nature
of his offense I could not require the
usurping government to hand him over
to me. The process was therefore ad
journed, till such time as Vescaro
should place himself within the juris
diction of the court.
l his occurred the other day
entered my territory of his own ac
cord, and was duly arrested, certain
precautions being taken to avoid pro
voking scandal, and to give the Sar
dinian government no excuse to inter
fere. Vescaro was at once brought
to trial, an advocate was assigned to
him, such of the witnesses as are still
living were produced, and he was pro
nounced guilty of treason, murder, and
desertion on the field. The crime was
a secular one, and the sentence was
executed, after Vescaro had made a
full confession and admitted the jus
tice of his doom.
" ‘Is there anything in these pro
ceedings which you can complain of
as irregular?’
“ ‘Nothing, your Holiness.
"His manner all at once changed.
He addressed Cardinal Salvatierra:
“ ‘Cardinal, we have had enough of
punishments; now let us speak of re
wards. What does a man deserve
who, when he finds himself in pos
session of the most dreadful proofs
against a prince of the Church, Instead
of bruiting his suspicions abroad, goes
to the man he is obliged to suspect,
and candidly confesses everything?’
“ 'Your Holiness, ne deserves to bo
honored by the Church.
" ‘That is my opinion, said the good
pop6 with a kind smile. ‘Give our son
what we have designed for him.
“I looked round, bewildered. The
cardinal advanced towards me and,
in his Holiness's name, invested mo
w'ith the Order of the Cross Keys.’'
(Copyright, in U. S. and Great Britain.)
Unsatisfied Curiosity.
Father,'' said the small boy, “what
is the fourth dimension?’'
I can’t be bothered about that
just now, my son.’
Vhy? is that a foolish question?”
I guess the question is all right.
Hut 1 must say i never heard an
answer to it that struck me as very
sensible.''