“You can repeat all this,” he said sarcastically, “in your next eloquent discourse with Aubrey Leigh!  It will save you the trouble of thinking!  His influence with the English masses will be but a brief phenomenon,—­the blind and brutal stupidity of the people he seeks to serve will soon dishearten and discourage him, and then he will come to us through his wife, and his conversion will be a triumph worth winning,—­a step in the right direction.  And now to other matters.  These papers,” and he sat down at the table once more, “are, I think, sufficiently in order to be placed before His Holiness.  But you may as well look through them with me first.  Later on, the affair of Cardinal Bonpre will occupy all our time . . .”

“It is an ‘affair’ then?” asked Gherardi, “The ‘saint’ is in trouble?”

“All ‘saints’ get into trouble!” answered Moretti, “It is only sinners who receive honour!  Cardinal Bonpre has made the fatal mistake of reading Jesus Christ’s Gospel instead of Church Doctrine!  His creed is Love,—­his duty, as I have just explained to you, if he would be a faithful son of the Church, is Hate!”

“Love forms no part of your nature then?” asked Gherardi, hardly knowing why he put the question, yet curious as to the answer.

“I am of the world!” replied Moretti coldly, “And I hate accordingly.  I hate, and in my hate, aspire to crush those who in turn hate me!  That is the human code, and one that must be strictly practised by all who would rule mankind.  Never do anything for those who can do nothing for you!  Firmly oppose those who oppose you!  Revenge yourself on those who despitefully use you!  We do revenge ourselves,—­and we reward all who help us to our revenge!  For example, Denis Vergniaud has cast opprobrium on his calling, and made a scandal and a shame of the Church before his congregation in Paris;—­we excommunicate him!  It is no use, but we do it on principle.  And we are still unable to explain away, or offer any excuse for Cardinal Bonpre’s mistake in condoning and pardoning his offence.  Therefore it follows as you say, that the ‘saint’ is in trouble!”

“Notwithstanding the miracle?”

“Notwithstanding the miracle!” echoed Moretti, “For the miracle is doubtful.  The Holy Father is not satisfied of its truth.  Yes—­there is no doubt about it, Saint Felix is in trouble!  It would be better for him had he never come out of his long retirement.  But perhaps he was compelled to look after his Rouen foundling!”

A smile flickered faintly over Gherardi’s face, but he said not a word in answer.  Discovering an error in one of the documents he was examining, he called Moretti’s attention to it, and the conversation drifted to everyday trivial subjects.  But the thoughts of both men were elsewhere, and not even the news received that morning of the bequest of one hundred thousand pounds to the Shrine of Lourdes from a deluded believer in the miraculous Virgin there, absorbed so much of their reflective brain powers as the imminent trial—­for it was little else—­of Cardinal Bonpre, in the presence of the boy to whom he so openly gave his confidence and protection.