And the frightful sadness that one felt arose from the fact that so creative and great a past had culminated in such present-day impotency--Rome, who had covered the world with indestructible monuments, now so reduced that she could only generate ruins.
"Oh, they'll be finished some day!" said Pierre.
Narcisse gazed at him in astonishment: "For whom ?" That was the cruel question! Only by dint of patriotic enthusiasm on the morrow of the conquest had one been able to indulge in the hope of a mighty influx of population, and now singular blindness was needed for the belief that such an influx would ever take place.

The past experiments seemed decisive; moreover, there was no reason why the population should double: Rome offered neither the attraction of pleasure nor that of gain to be amassed in commerce and industry for those she had not, nor of intensity of social and intellectual life, since of this she seemed no longer capable.

In any case, years and years would be requisite.

And, meantime, how could one people those houses which were finished; and for whom was one to finish those which had remained mere skeletons, falling to pieces under sun and rain?
Must they all remain there indefinitely, some gaunt and open to every blast and others closed and silent like tombs, in the wretched hideousness of their inutility and abandonment?
What a terrible proof of error they offered under the radiant sky! The new masters of Rome had made a bad start, and even if they now knew what they ought to have done would they have the courage to undo what they had done?
Since the milliard sunk there seemed to be definitely lost and wasted, one actually hoped for the advent of a Nero, endowed with mighty, sovereign will, who would take torch and pick and burn and raze everything in the avenging name of reason and beauty.
"Ah!" resumed Narcisse, "here are the Contessina and the Prince." Benedetta had told the coachman to pull up in one of the open spaces intersecting the deserted streets, and now along the broad, quiet, grassy road--well fitted for a lovers' stroll--she was approaching on Dario's arm, both of them delighted with their outing, and no longer thinking of the sad things which they had come to see.

"What a nice day it is!" the Contessina gaily exclaimed as she reached Pierre and Narcisse.