onsignor, our Delegate in Washington, reveal the truly
astonishing growth of our beloved cause for the restoration of all
things in Christ. Has not God shown even in our beloved America that
our way of worshiping Him is the way He approves?"

"But, Your Eminence, the constant defections! It was only last week
that a priest and his entire congregation went over to the Episcopal
faith. And--"

"What of that? 'It must needs be that offenses come.' Where one drops
out, ten take his place."

"True, while we recruit our depleted ranks from the Old World. But,
with restricted immigration--"

"Which is not restricted, as yet," replied the Cardinal-Bishop with a
sapient smile. "Nor is there any restriction upon the inspiration,
political as well as spiritual, which the American Government draws
from Rome--an inspiration much more potent, I think, than our
Protestant brethren would care to admit."

"Is that inspiration such, think you, as to draw the American
Government more and more into the hands of the Church?"

"Its effect in the past unquestionably has been such," said the
Cardinal-Bishop meditatively.

"And shall our dreams of an age be fulfilled--that the Holy Father
will throw off the shackles which now hold him a prisoner within the
Vatican, and that he will then personally direct the carrying out of
those policies of world expansion which shall gather all mankind into
the fold of Holy Church?"

"There is a lessening doubt of it," was the tentative reply.

"And--" the Bishop hesitated. "And--shall we say that those
all-embracing policies ultimately will be directed by the Holy Father
from Washington itself?"

A long pause ensued, during which Jose was all ears.

"Why not?" finally returned the Cardinal-Bishop slowly. "Why not, if
it should better suit our purposes? It may become advisable to remove
the Holy See from Rome."

"But--impossible!"

"Not at all--quite possible, though I will not say probable. But let
us see, can we not say that the time has arrived when no President of
the United States can be elected without the Catholic vote? Having our
vote, we have his pledges to support our policies. These statistics
before us show that already seventy-five per cent of all Government
employes in Washington are of our faith. We control Federal, State,
County and City offices without number. I think--I think the time is
not distant when we shall be able to set up a candidate of our faith
for the Presidency