This will occupy a little while."

The priest went across to the stone window-seat, whence he could watch
the Pope's face in the light of the two candles that now stood on the
table between him and the Cardinal-Secretary. Then the Cardinal began,
glancing up from his papers.

"Holiness. I had better begin a little way back. Their Eminences have
not heard the details properly....

"I received at Damascus, on last Friday week, inquiries from various
prelates in different parts of the world, as to the actual measure
concerning the new policy of persecution. At first I could tell them
nothing positively, for it was not until after twenty o'clock that
Cardinal Ruspoli, in Turin, informed me of the facts. Cardinal Malpas
confirmed them a few minutes later, and the Cardinal Archbishop of Pekin
at twenty-three. Before mid-day on Saturday I received final
confirmation from my messengers in London.

"I was at first surprised that Cardinal Dolgorovski did not communicate
it; for almost simultaneously with the Turin message I received one from
a priest of the Order of Christ Crucified in Moscow, to which, of
course, I paid no attention. (It is our rule, Eminences, to treat
unauthorised communications in that way.) His Holiness, however, bade me
make inquiries, and I learned from Father Petrovoski and others that the
Government placards published the news at twenty o'clock--by our time.
It was curious, therefore, that the Cardinal had not seen it; if he had
seen it, it was, of course, his duty to acquaint me immediately.

"Since that time, however, the following facts have come out. It is
established beyond a doubt that Cardinal Dolgorovski received a visitor
in the course of the evening. His own chaplain, who, your Eminences are
perhaps aware, has been very active in Russia on behalf of the Church,
informs me of this privately. Yet the Cardinal asserts, in explanation
of his silence, that he was alone during those hours, and had given
orders that no one was to be admitted to his presence without urgent
cause. This, of course, confirmed His Holiness's opinion, but I received
orders from Him to act as if nothing had happened, and to command the
Cardinal's presence here with the rest of the Sacred College. To this I
received an intimation that he would be present. Yesterday, however, a
little before mid-day, I received a further message that his Eminency
had met with a slight accident, but that he yet hoped to present himself
in