their audacity; and, when they are frightened, they are a still greater mischief to their house and their city." His feeling to women was that of Eteokles in the _Seven against Thebes_. It caused him to make the tremendous mistake of his life. A woman of this colour never can be neglected: she must be taken--or smashed. That, he knew: but he would not take her, ever; and, a certain chivalrous delicacy, mingled with a certain mercifulness of heart, and a certain fastidious shrinking from a loathsome object, prevented him from prosecuting her with the rigour of the law. "Wrong must thou do, or wrong must suffer. Then, grant, O blind dumb gods, that we, rather the sufferers than the doers be," expressed his attitude. It annoyed himself: it made her fierce and furibund: and it was absolutely futile.--And now, he had leaped at a bound from impotent lonely penury to the terrible altitude of Peter's Throne. He was famous, mighty, rich, and the idol of her adoration, despite the great gulph fixed between her insignificance and His Supremacy. Oh, what would she not give--for a curse, for a blow from Him. The emotion thrilled and dazzled her. Not one hour during twelve years had she been without the thought of Him. It was a case of complete obcession. Her daughter flowed into the room in a pink wrapper, finishing a florid cadenza. A touch on the tea-pot and a glance under the dish-cover revealed astringent and coagulate tepidity. She rang the bell. "Mother, why aren't you eating any breakfast?" "I am eating it. I only just stopped a minute to read my letters." "A pretty long minute, I should think. Everything's stone-cold. Why you've only got one letter! Who's it from?" "Mr. Sant. He wants me to go to Rome with him." "Oh mother, you can't you know." "I'm sure I don't know anything of the kind. In fact I think I will go. There'll be a party of us." "Well, if it's a party---- But what's going to become of the house?" "I'm sure Big Ann is capable of looking after the house, Amelia. If I can't have a fortnight's holiday now and then I might just as well go and drown myself. I'm sick to death of Oriel Street. I want to go about a bit. Yes, I will go. And the house must get on the best way it can. Anybody would think you were all a pack of machines that wouldn't work if I'm not here to wind you up." "Oh, all right, mother, go and have a fling by all means if you like. But what about the cost? I'm sure I can't help you as long as I only get these three-guinea engagements. And I simply can't wear that eau-de-nil again. The bodice is quite gone under the arms." "You're not asked to help. Mr. Sant pays all expenses. And, Amelia, if I can do what I'm going to try to do, you shall have as many new frocks as you can wear. We're going to see the Pope." "Going to see the Pope?" "Yes, you silly girl--the Pope,--Rose!" "What do you mean?" "Just what I say." "But you can't." "Nonsense. Of course I can."