Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/282

 lift no finger to strengthen yourselves, you will soon be undermined past remedy.’

This brought back the troubles which had beset the prelate’s mind before his visitors came. ‘To disperse them he raised his eyes to Lesbia’s with an expression of reverence he had never worn toward any mortal.

‘And this, then, is to be the end of the great Christian Religion, now near eighteen centuries old!’ he said slowly and dreamily.

‘Ruat Christiana Religio, vivat Ecclesia!’ cried Lesbia, in that weird foreign voice which changed her personality, as she started to her feet, her eyes flashing fire.

The cardinal’s hands dropped by his sides as he rose; the girl’s seized them; and as they lay locked in her strong clasp, his consciousness seemed to reel; and all that took place afterwards, even to the visitors’ leave-taking, was to him as if done in a day-dream. A rainbow-hued mist obscured his sight, shutting out the walls of his drawing-room, though he could see the windows through it; and Lesbia’s concluding words, though spoken gently in her natural voice, were accompanied by, and almost drowned in, the growing music of a sacred march, which sounded in his ears unaccountably; it certainly did not proceed from any band playing in the neighbouring streets.

‘Let that be your banner-scroll, Cardinal Archbishop,’ she said, ‘in the struggle which is before you. One man against the powers of evil still ascendant in your hierarchy. No matter; you will conquer and break them, for She will sustain your arm. Domina illuminatio mea et salus mea; quem timebo? Domina protectrix vit me; a quo trepidabo? Si consistant adversum me castra, non timebit cor meum: si exurgat adversum me prlium, in Hâc ego sperabo..’

The Legate again passed a sleepless night, and morning