urt has not given up her design of making Romayne acquainted
with the birth of his son.

The right person to apply to for information is evidently my banker. He
has been a resident in Rome for twenty years--but he is too busy a man
to be approached, by an idler like myself, in business hours. I have
asked him to dine with me to-morrow.

March 2.--My guest has just left me. I am afraid Mrs. Eyrecourt will be
sadly disappointed when she hears what I have to tell her.

The moment I mentioned Romayne's name, the banker looked at me with an
expression of surprise. "The man most talked about in Rome," he said;
"I wonder you have not heard of him already."

"Is he a priest?"

"Certainly! And, what is more, the ordinary preparations for the
priesthood were expressly shortened by high authority on his account.
The Pope takes the greatest interest in him; and as for the people, the
Italians have already nicknamed him 'the young cardinal.' Don't suppose,
as some of our countrymen do, that he is indebted to his wealth for the
high position which he has already attained. His wealth is only one of
the minor influences in his favor. The truth is, he unites in himself
two opposite qualities, both of the greatest value to the Church, which
are very rarely found combined in the same man. He has already made a
popular reputation here, as a most eloquent and convincing preacher--"

"A preacher!" I exclaimed. "And a popular reputation! How do the
Italians understand him?"

The banker looked puzzled.

"Why shouldn't they understand a man who addresses them in their own
language?" he said. "Romayne could speak Italian when he came here--and
since that time he has learned by constant practice to think in Italian.
While our Roman season lasts, he preaches alternately in Italian and in
English. But I was speaking of the two opposite accomplishments which
this remarkable man possesses. Out of the pulpit, he is capable of
applying his mind successfully to the political necessities of the
Church. As I am told, his intellect has had severe practical training,
by means of historical studies, in the past years of his life. Anyhow,
in one of the diplomatic difficulties here between the Church and the
State, he wrote a memorial on the subject, which the Cardinal-Secretary
declared to be a model of ability in applying the experience of the past
to the need of the present time. If he doesn't wear himself out, his
Italian nickname may prove prophe