"Now please come and kneel here," He said. The bishop looked an inquiry: but he came round the table, and kneeled before the Pope, Who addressed him in these words:— "Well-beloved son, Francis Talacryn, Bishop of Caerleon, We appoint thee to, and confirm thee in, the cardinalature. But thou shalt not disclose the fact until the proper time." So saying, He lightly pinched-together the bishop's lips, putting the breve into his hand. "Silence," the Pontiff continued. "Now will you yourself go to San Silvestro,—not to the post-office here,—and stamp and post those letters. One thing more. There will be no hitch to-morrow? Right. Then, after leaving San Silvestro, will you find Prince Pilastro and Prince Orso, and tell them——We certainly shall have the support of these nine? Good.—Well, quite informally let those princes (as Princes-Assistant at the Pontifical Throne) know of[Pg 98] Our insuing incoronation. When you have named that to Prince Pilastro, say, also informally, that the Supreme Pontiff wishes the Syndic of Rome to know that, when He has received the crowns, He intends to go to Lateran to take possession of His episcopal see. No. There is to be no fuss. We will go as simply as possible and on foot. Will you always be quite near? We name you train-bearer; and will make your office a sinecure. God bless you. Da b'och a dibechod." [Pg 98] Hadrian remained standing at the antechamber-door, watching the bishop's big figure disappear along the corridor. He thought it a pity that a tendency to corpulency was not checked by healthy physical exercise. A detachment of the Swiss Guard stood armed and motionless at regular intervals. "For me," was His plebeian thought. A small man appeared, bowing. He had a servile air. Hadrian's second glance recognised him. "Is there an apartment on the top storey above this?" He inquired. "But yes, Holiness, a large apartment of smaller rooms not having the altitude of these." "You will cause them to be emptied by noon to-morrow. Now you can go to bed. Please take care that no one comes inside this door until the morning." The Pope closed the door: and returned through the antechambers and the throne-room to the table where He had been working. He sat on the edge of the table for about an hour, swinging a leg, thinking, and sipping milk. Then He took a candle, and went into a dressing-room
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