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Gherardi made a quick step forward. "My lord Cardinal!" he said significantly, "Should not your waif and stray have been taught how to comport himself before he came here? He does not kneel to the Holy Father!" The Cardinal opened his lips to speak, but Manuel stayed him by a slight gesture. "I may not kneel to any man!" he said, "But to God only!
For, when they received the brief appointing him their lord, they celebrated the event by public rejoicings and illuminations; whilst on July 21 the Council, representing the people, in the presence of Vera and Gherardi, took oath upon the Gospels of allegiance to Cesare and his descendants for ever.
There was a great plan afoot of drawing American and English wealth into the big Church-net through the medium of superstitious fear and sentimental bigotry, and an opposer and enemy like Aubrey Leigh, physically handsome, with such powers of oratory as are only granted to the very few, was capable of influencing women as well as men and women, as Gherardi well recognised, are the chief supporters of the Papal system.
Gherardi was a man of culture, and he collected and edited a number of scenes, written in French, which were on the boards intermingled and played with the Italian farces in order to raise the tone of, and give something more solid and durable to, these entertainments.
Gherardi met them unflinchingly, and in that one glance the two were united in the spirit of their evil intention. "You are a man," went on Gherardi, watching him closely. "Will you permit yourself to be baffled and beaten in the race for fame by a woman? Shame on you if you do! Listen!
A brave way too, to intimidate a woman!" Gherardi, recovering from the shock of Aubrey's blow, drew himself up haughtily. "I serve the Church, Mr. Leigh!" he said proudly. "And in that high service all means are permitted to us for a righteous end!" "Ah! the old Jesuitical hypocrisy!" And Aubrey smiled bitterly. "Lies are permitted in the Cause of Truth! One word, Monsignor!
And I doubt whether the Pope will judge it politic, or a part of national diplomacy, to support you then!" For a moment Gherardi was baffled. His dark brows met in a frown of menace and his lips tightened with his repressed fury. Then, still managing to speak with the utmost composure, he said, "You will permit me to look at this dagger-sheath this proof on which you place so much reliance?"
"I do not see," Gherardi went on, smiling blandly, "why after all, you should not be received by the Holy Father. I will try to arrange it for you. But it would avail you very little, I imagine, as he is not strong, and would not be capable of conversing with you for more than a few minutes.
"What is your promise worth?" said Vergniaud with disdain. "Nothing!" replied Gherardi bitterly. "Only in this one special instance it is worth all my life! all my position! You even you, the accursed Gys Grandit! you have me in your power!"
A curious, dull sense of anger teased the astute brain of Domenico Gherardi, as with all the dignified deportment of the stately churchman, he walked on by her side. What was all his scheming worth, he began to think, if this slight feminine creature proved herself more than a match for him?
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