Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/292



‘ in the paper, Lesbia?’ asked Mr Bristley, as he came to their breakfast-table in the coffee-room of the Great Western Hotel, Paddington, where his niece had seated herself a few minutes before. It was the tenth day after the visit of the two girls to the cardinal. Friga had left for Ruddymere on the morrow of the visit, and Lesbia met her uncle, who had come up fora short stay, at their accustomed hotel.

‘News? yes indeed there is, Uncle Spines; what do you say to this?’ handing him the despatch sheet of the Times. Mr Bristley read, ‘''The Catholic Crisis. Arrival of the Pope. The members of the papal court, with numerous foreign prelates, landed at Plymouth this morning after a smooth passage. They will probably proceed by an afternoon train to London, where preparations have been made for their entertainment.''’

‘I suppose they'll reach this station after dark; and, of course, whatever train they come by, there’ll be a crowd to stare at them,’ he added. ‘Now you'll have a chance to close with them at head-quarters, Lesbie.’

‘No, Cardinal Power will do that for me, if it be not already done,’ she replied. ‘I can do nothing in this matter without his aid; should he need mine, which is not likely, he will write to me. My part is done, for the