
In a richly appointed salon, the crackle of a fireplace mixes with the scent of wine and tobacco. Two men sit opposite each other at a low table—one a tall, gaunt figure in a flamboyant silk robe of strange Chinese motifs, his gray eyes sharp as Damascus steel; the other a younger, wiry revolutionary in a black cravat, his face flushed and restless. Their contrast is striking, not only in dress but in bearing: the elder speaks in concise, commanding sentences, while the younger erupts in passionate, scattered tirades. The atmosphere feels intimate yet charged, as if the room itself awaits a spark.
Their conversation turns to the nature of the soul, the illusion of time, and a fierce rejection of authority. The elder declares the body a slave to temporal chains, while the younger, a self‑styled atheist philosopher, champions absolute freedom and urges action. A small wooden box is opened, revealing gleaming metal devices that hint at a clandestine plan, suggesting the debate may soon turn violent.
Language
it
Duration
~3 hours (216K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2008-04-26
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
1870–1935
An Italian priest and prolific popular writer, he moved easily between religious scholarship and fast-moving adventure tales. His work reached a wide readership in the early twentieth century, especially through novels for younger readers.
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