Page:Lord of the World - Benson - 1908.djvu/370

340 "Father," he said, "it was you who received his Eminency's messages. Have you anything to add to this?"

"No, Holiness."

He turned again.

"My son," he said, "report to Us publicly what you have already reported to Us in private."

A small, bright-eyed man moved out of the shadows.

"Holiness, it was I who conveyed the message to Cardinal Dolgorovski. He refused at first to receive me. When I reached his presence and communicated the command he was silent; then he smiled; then he told me to carry back the message that he would obey."

Again the Pope was silent.

Then suddenly the tall Australian stood up.

"Holiness," he said, "I was once intimate with that man. It was partly through my means that he sought reception into the Catholic Church. This was not less than fourteen years ago, when the fortunes of the Church seemed about to prosper Our friendly relations ceased two years ago, and I may say that, from what I know of him, I find no difficulty in believing—"

As his voice shook with passion and he faltered, Silvester raised his hand.

"We desire no recriminations. Even the evidence is now useless, for what was to be done has been done. For ourselves, we have no doubt as to its nature It was to this man that Christ gave the morsel through our hands, saying Quod facis, fac citius. Cum ergo accepisset ille buccellam, exivit continuo. Erat autem nox."

Again fell the silence, and in the pause sounded a long half-vocal sigh from without the door. It came and went