l be arrested, but a
Minister can be disgraced, which is worse to his mind. You may be sure
that our knowledge of the murder of the Italian will be quite
sufficient to keep His Excellency in a painful state of suspense, and
ultimately force him to yield."

"I could wish him," said Mark, "a _more_ painful state of _suspense_."

Father Murray smiled at the grim jest. "He will never see the rope,
Mark, you may be sure of that. But there will be no more murdering.
The situation of the Ministry is bad enough as it is. His Excellency
looked very much perturbed--for a diplomat--before I was done with him.
There is nothing more certain than that he has had a messenger in
Baltimore to-day, and, unless I mistake very much, he will be able to
identify the body. Then they must free Ruth."

"I wish, Father," Mark's voice was very tense, "that I could look at
things as you do. But I know how a court works, and how serious are
the games of kings. Then I haven't religion to help me, as you have."

"I question a little," replied Father Murray, "if that last statement
is true--that you have no religion. You know, Mark, I am beginning to
think you have a great deal of religion. I wish that some who think
that they have very much could learn how to make what is really their
very little count as far as you have made yours count. It dawned upon
me to-night that there is a good reason why the most religious people
never make the best diplomats. Now, you would have been a failure in
that career."

"I think, Father Murray, that your good opinion of me is at least
partly due to the fact that I may yet be your nephew. Ruth is like a
daughter to you; and so I gain in your esteem because of her."

"Yes," answered the priest thoughtfully, "Ruth is like a daughter to
me. And it is a strange feeling for a priest to have--that he has
someone looking up to him and loving him in that way. Though a priest
is constituted the same as other men, long training and experience have
made his life and mental attitude different from those of men of more
worldly aspirations. A priest is bound to his work more closely than
is any other person in the world. Duty is almost an instinct with him.
That is why he seldom shines in any other line, no matter how talented
he may be. Cardinal Richelieu and Cardinal Mazarin almost had to
unfrock themselves in order to become statesmen. Cardinal Wolsey left
a heritage that at best is of doubtful value--no