Mundo and Fiamma rose by impulse: went to the throne; and renewed their allegiance. The new cardinals mixed with the others and began to talk, while the rest of the Compromissaries approached the Pontiff. Orezzo moved that way with eight Italians. Then the seven brought each a companion. When, at last, the Benedictine struggled to his feet, opposition died. Ragna toed the line. "His Holiness has averted a schism," said Orezzo to Moccolo. "One has to admire even where one hardly approves." "And to hobble-after even when one cannot keep-up-with the pace." "Saint or madman?" Mundo repeated to Fiamma. "One-third saint, one-sixth madman, one-sixth genius, one-sixth dreamer, one-sixth diplomatist----" "No. All George Arthur Rose plus Peter," Talacryn put in. "He said as much Himself to me once, whatever!" Hadrian went out to take the air. Under His cloak He carried a pickle bottle, the label of which He had washed off and destroyed. As He went along, He picked up a trowel left by some gardener in a flower-bed. He found a solitary corner filled with rose-acacias and lavender-bushes behind the Leonine Villa. He looked up at the cupola of St. Peter's and saw no Americans levelling binoculars. Then He dug a little hole; and buried pickles; and hid the bottle a few yards away beneath the bee-hives by the lavender-bushes, mauve-bloomed, very sweet to smell. The solemn odour stimulated his brain; and He returned to chat with His gentlemen. They were engaged in physical exercises in a parlour. The Italian, who was one of nature's athletes, with so tremendous a power of chest-inflation that his ribs seemed unconnected with his sternum, interminably floated down and up and down to the floor on one leg, with the other leg and both arms extended rectangularly before him. The Englishman, a student, graceful and slim but not muscular, watched him and would imitate. His sinews had not the elastic force rhythmically to lower and raise him. He could get down but not up. He often lost balance, and rolled over in frantic failure. "You must have thighs made of whipcord and steel to do it," he was saying. Then they saw their visitor and attended. Hadrian asked what the exercise was and whence it came. "Santità, from the bersaglieri," Iulo responded. "That they do, during an hour of each day for the fortification of their legs. From which they run." "It is beautiful. And are you going to emulate the bersaglieri?" "My comrade goes to educate my mind. I go to discipline the physic of him," the gymnast said. "Oh, I'm going to help him rub up his classics as far as my poor knowledge lets me, Holiness: that's all:" the student added. "Very good indeed," Hadrian pronounced. "Well now, something is going to happen to you. Go and escort the Secretary of State to the secret chamber." Ragna and the young men appeared within the quarter-hour. The Pope was seated; and a couple of Noble Guards stood behind His chair.