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 and the papacy to be at an end; and that in that case she will use her influence with the Italian Government to allow the Pope to return to Rome, on well-defined conditions. I suspect, Uncle Spines, that the conditions will include her own ordination as a priestess, or appointment to some post of still greater responsibility and power; be that as it may, Cardinal Power is willing, and the rest will be obliged, to eat whatever shew-bread it may please Madame Pisa-Vitri to bake for their consumption.’

‘Does the cardinal mention anything about the ordaining of priestesses?’ asked the vicar.

‘Yes, they have already chosen the first English one, the Lady Superior of Hildenboro. She will have completed her probation by the beginning of winter, and as soon as she is ordained, I must go to her and be baptised into the Church. I cannot consistently refuse, nor can you, uncle.’

‘I have no wish to refuse,’ he replied. ‘I was always ready to meet Rome half way. It will entail upon me the necessity of converting this neighbourhood, but I do not apprehend much difficulty in that now. Does the cardinal say anything else?’

‘Yes, he congratulates me upon being one of the few who had lived to witness the realisation of their progressive ideas. But I shall tell him in reply, that in the first place an individual can only be the mouthpiece of the age; secondly, that the idea owes at least as much to you as to me, if indeed either of us were the real chief actor.’

‘You say well there, Lesbie; the real chief actors are not denizens of this world, although probably they may have been so.’

‘The last piece of intelligence in the cardinal’s letter, said Lesbia, ‘is that they are to get back Westminster