Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. II.djvu/112

122 overcome it,” said she. And Brigitta Brahe did so, and so doing, overcame those proud hearts, and won them to God.

Whilst we were in the chapel of St. Brigitta, the superior of the Benedictine order entered,—a good-tempered, stout man,—and after him, the general of the same order,—Cardinal Andrea,—a Neapolitan, in fiery red costume; and also a very stout gentleman, with a cunning side glance, and polite demeanor. Both gentlemen bowed to Madame de M——, and the cardinal, who graciously allowed her to kiss his hand, conversed for some time, both with her and me. He inquired, amongst other things, what I thought of St. Peter's, and the Christmas-day service there. I said to him, as candidly as I could, without any breach of politeness, that which I have already said to you, my R——, that it appeared to me as if the Pope and the Pontificate occupied too much space in the church.

He replied, “We regard the Pope as the representative of Jesus Christ, and honor him as such.”

“Do you find him like Jesus Christ?” was upon my tongue to say, but I said it not. I knew, indeed, what the reply would be, and I had, besides, already shown myself so much of a heretic, that his eminence, on taking his departure, did not vouchsafe me a glance, bestowing upon Madame de M—— merely a little twinkling of the eyelid, after he had charged her to commit herself to the prayers of St. Benoit. Madame de M—— is still lame, after a severe fall from a carriage. He departed, accompanied by half a dozen bowing and bending priests, who seemed to me to constitute his train. A young Benedictine monk,