Ten minutes later, as he came out of his bedroom, Father Jervis himself came in.

“You have your choice, Monsignor,” he said.  “As a Domestic Prelate you have the right to walk in the procession (here is the permit), or as occupying rooms here we can, if you prefer, see the procession from the front windows.”

“Tell me what the programme is.”

“At nine the procession leaves St. Peter’s to go to the Lateran—­at least they call it nine.  There the Holy Father sings Mass, as bishop in his own cathedral.  On the return of the procession, I suppose about midday, the Holy Father visits the tomb of St. Peter.  Then this afternoon he is present at Vespers in St. Peter’s; and afterwards gives the blessing Urbi et Orbi from the window as usual.”

“What would you advise?”

“Well, I should advise your remaining here till mid-day.  There’s no use in overdoing it.  We can see everything admirably.  Then we can go into St. Peter’s for the visit to the tomb, and come back here to dejeuner.  After that we can arrange about the rest of the day.”

“Very good.  Then let us have something to eat at once.”

“Who’s Prince George of England?” demanded Monsignor presently as they sat over coffee.

Father Jervis laughed.

“You’ve found that out, have you?  Yes, he’s here, of course.  Well, he’s the second son:  he’s only a boy.  He’s over here to represent the King.  Every sovereign sends a prince of the blood-royal for to-day.  Even the German Emperor.”

“Do you mean from Europe?”

“I mean from the whole world.  You see the East is scarcely three days away by the fast volors; so even the Chinese——­”

“Do you mean that China and Japan send representatives?”

“Certainly.  Japan is Christian of course, anyhow; and China has at least one or two Christian princes of the blood.”

“By the way, what about Russia?”

“Well, what about it?”

“Is it Catholic?”

“My dear Monsignor, it’s been Catholic for thirty years.”

“Oh dear me!  You must lend me some more histories. . . .  What made it Catholic?”

“Common sense, I suppose.  How they could have stood out for so long is the only thing that puzzles me.”

“But the Petrine claims——­”

“Why, the Petrine claims were the very point.  Facts were too strong.  If you look back over history you can’t help seeing that the only Christian body that was ever able to resist Erastianism on the one side and endless division on the other has been the Church built on Peter.  They began to see it nearly a hundred years ago in Russia and Greece.  Then the Emperor of Russia was secretly reconciled in 1930; and ten or twelve years later his people followed him.”

“Then there’s no more dispute?  What about the Filioque clause?”

“Why, when Peter is accepted, the rest follows.”

“Then you may say that the entire civilized world is represented in Rome to-day?”