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Cardinal Bonpre turned his eyes thoughtfully on the young speaker "You were with me, child, when the little cripple sat on my knee and held my crucifix," he said in a low tone, "You saw you heard all. What did I do? what did I say?"
He entered the building, and the Cardinal followed, wondering and deeply agitated. It should have been dark within, but instead of darkness, a soft light pervaded it from end to end, a warm and delicate radiance, coloured with a rose glory as of sunset and Bonpre seeing this stopped, seized with a sudden fear.
The old-time Inquisitors tortured their kind for Religion's sake, the modern ones do it in the name of Science, but the inhumanity, the callousness, the inborn savage love of cruelty are all the same in both instances." Cardinal Bonpre shuddered as he heard. "Lord Christ, where art thou!" he thought, "Where is Thy spirit of unfailing tenderness and care?
Felix Bonpre took the somewhat violent remark, however, with perfect equanimity. "Possibly I may do so," he responded peaceably. "We are all subject to error. My calling, as I take it, is that of a servant of Christ, whose instructions for work are plainly set down in His own words. It is for me to follow these instructions as literally and exactly as I can.
Meanwhile Cardinal Bonpre had once more reached his own apartments, thankful enough to be there after his difficult experience at the Vatican. But he was neither fatigued nor depressed by what had occurred, on the contrary he was conscious of an extraordinary vigour and lightness of heart, as though he had suddenly grown young again.
"Willingly, if I can. But how?" "In this way. It is a little drama! To-morrow is Saturday and you 'receive. 'Tout Paris', artistic Paris, at any rate, flocks to your studio. Your uncle, the Cardinal Bonpre, is known to be with you, and your visitors will be still more numerous. I have promised Fontenelle to meet him here. I am to give him his answer " "To what?" enquired Angela.
Gherardi returned to the studio and resumed his confidential talk with Bonpre, while one by one the visitors departed, till at last the only persons left in the vast room were Angela and Florian Varillo, Prince Pietro, and the two dignitaries of the Church.
"I beg your Eminence to spare yourself!" said Moretti suavely, with a deep salutation, "And to pardon me for thus coming unannounced into the presence of one so highly esteemed by the Holy Father as Cardinal Bonpre!"
Then why should you doubt that Cardinal Bonpre has, by his prayer, rescued one life the life of a little child? Is not your Church built up for prayer? Do you not command it? Do you not even insist upon the 'vain repetitions' which Christ forbade? Do you not summon the people to pray in public? though Christ bade all who truly sought to follow Him to pray in secret?
Here he stood back, and allowed Cardinal Bonpre to pass in first, attended by Manuel, Monsignori Gherardi and Moretti followed. And then the valet, closing the door behind them, and pulling the rich curtain across, sat down himself close outside it to be within call when the Holy Father should summon his attendance by means of a bell which hung immediately over his head.
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