f the
East by the united Powers this morning. The news was in the Prime
Ministers hands at six o'clock. But I'm sorry he had to use it; it
would have been stronger without. . . . Don't you understand,
Monsignor? The House would have refused to vote otherwise."

"But it's finished--it's finished, isn't it, your Eminence?"

"Yes, yes, it's finished. Or had we better say it's begun. Now
the last conflict begins. . . . Now, Monsignor, I'm afraid I must
begin to dictate. Would you mind setting the phonographs?"

* * * * *

From the hall beneath rose a sudden confusion of cheering and
stamping of feet.

PART III

CHAPTER I

(I)

"Monsignor," said the Cardinal, "I am afraid I shall have to ask
you to go, after all. It is extremely important that the Catholic
authorities in England should be represented in this scheme. And
I think, you will have to travel with the first batch. They leave
Queenstown on the first of April."

"Certainly. And when shall I be back, your Eminence?"

"You must judge for yourself. It will not be more than a month
or six weeks at the outside, and I dare say a good deal less. It
will depend on the temper of the settlers. The American civil
authorities will have the final arrangements. But it is
exceedingly important that the emigrants should have some one to
speak for them; and as, of course, the Church will be believed
to be really responsible, it will be as well that an
ecclesiastic should be their friend. Identify yourself with them
as far as possible. The civil authorities are sure to be
inclined to be hard."

"Very good, your Eminence."

* * * * *

The scheme had come to birth very rapidly.

After the second reading of the Establishment Bill, it had been
taken for granted, and rightly, that the rest was but a matter
of time, and it was calculated that, considering the
Government's attitude, the Bill would receive the royal assent
before the end of the summer. Immediately, therefore, the more
peaceable Socialists had taken fright, and in every European
country had made representations that now that their last
refuges in Germany and England had been closed to them, some
arrangement ought to be made by which they could enjoy complete
civil and religious liberty elsewhere. The idea had been in the
air, of course, for a considerable time. There had been
complaints on all sides that public opinion was too strong, that
Socialists, in spite of the