"I happen to know that He cannot ride." "Peuh! No sportsman, then! And yet He's English?" "Yes: but not the kind of sportsman you mean, Prince." "Well: what does He want me to do?" "Let's say that I am sent to warn you of His intention, in order that you may arrest Him for disturbing the traffic, if you choose." "Of course we shan't do that." "No: of course you won't. That's only my way of putting it. I think He really means to advise you beforehand, so that it can never be said that He played you a trick, took you unawares, stole a march on you, so to speak." "I see. Well, this is one of the amazing things which you English do as a matter of course. It's either frantic madness, or—— Will His Holiness go in any sort of state?" "I think not. You see time is short; and (between ourselves) I'm not at all sure that we're all of one mind over there." "By rights, you know, I ought to walk with Orso, just before the ambassadors. Does Orso know about this walking business?" "No. Only of the incoronation." [Pg 102] [Pg 102] "That means that there will be no formal procession. It is well. You see, as Pilastro, I walk with Orso in the Pope's progress: while, as Syndic of Rome, I ought to walk at the head of the pontifical pages who precede His Blessedness. I can't do both, can I? Well, I request Your Splendour to convey my respects to our Holy Father; and to say that Prince Pilastro will assist at the throne during the incoronation, and the Syndic of Rome will go before the Pope to Lateran." "You will not take the chance of coming to blows with Prince Orso on the question of precedence then?" joked the bishop. "But no. During the incoronation I shall secure the right hand; and the Pope will be between us. Afterward, no question of precedence will arise, because Orso may or may not join in this promenade to Lateran; and in each case the Syndic will have the more honourable position. I may not be the rose: but at least I shall be near the Rose—a
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