But when I think of the misfortunes which might have come to all of us here, for instance, I find it very tolerable.

Better than living in another epoch, for example.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Contessina, in Venice, you would have been liable to arrest any day under a warrant of the Council of Ten....

And you, Dorsenne, would have been exposed to the cudgel like Monsieur de Voltaire, by some jealous lord....

And Prince d'Ardea would have run the risk of being assassinated or beheaded at each change of Pope.