ince; probably, indeed, if the
Scriptures of my Jewish forefathers are to be believed, before the
foundation of the world; and that your business was to believe that God
was King of Alexandria, and had put the Roman law there to crucify
all murderers, ecclesiastics included, and that crucified they must be
accordingly, as high as Haman himself.'

'I will hear no more of this, sir! I am responsible to God alone, and
not to you: let it be enough that by virtue of the authority committed
to me, I shall cut off these men from the Church of God, by solemn
excommunication, for three years to come.'

'They are not cut off, then, it seems, as yet?'

'I tell you, sir, that I shall cut them off! Do you come here to doubt
my word?'

'Not in the least, most august sir. But I should have fancied that,
according to my carnal notions of God's Kingdom and The Church, they had
cut off themselves most effectually already, from the moment when they
cast away the Spirit of God, and took to themselves the spirit of
murder and cruelty; and that all which your most just and laudable
excommunication could effect, would be to inform the public of that
fact. However, farewell! My money shall be forthcoming in due time; and
that is the most important matter between us at this moment. As for your
client Peter and his fellows, perhaps the most fearful punishment which
can befall them, is to go on as they have begun. I only hope that you
will not follow in the same direction.'

'I?' cried Cyril, trembling with rage.

'Really I wish your Holiness well when I say so. If my notions seem to
you somewhat secular, yours--forgive me--seem to the somewhat atheistic;
and I advise you honestly to take care lest while you are busy trying
to establish God's kingdom, you forget what it is like, by shutting your
eyes to those of its laws which are established already. I have no doubt
that with your Holiness's great powers you will succeed in establishing
something. My only dread is, that when it is established, you should
discover to your horror that it is the devil's kingdom and not God's.'

And without waiting for an answer, Raphael bowed himself out of the
august presence, and sailing for Berenice that very day, with Eudaimon
and his negro wife, went to his own place; there to labour and to
succour, a sad and stern, and yet a loving and a much-loved man, for
many a year to come.

And now we will leave Alexandria also, and taking a forward leap of some