"Victor Emanuel is one of the four cleverest men in the world. It is impossible that he should not have understood the _Regnum Meum_. Besides, We addressed him by name. He owes Us the civility of a response." "Holiness, let me have that news conveyed to him. Guido Attendolo----" "No. We Ourself have not yet seen clearly the next move. We believe that His Majesty of his own initiative ought to have approached Us--the son to the Father--before now. We have given him a token of Our good-will. There the matter rests. He cannot have a doubt as to what Our purpose is. But--His Majesty must do as he pleases. We think that We have done Our part so far. At present, We are not moved to proceed further. When We are moved--and that is what occupies Us now. An idea seems to be forming in Our mind: but as yet,---- Percy, do ask Our friends to tea in the Garden of the Pine-Cone at half-past sixteen o'clock to-day." The same afternoon after siesta, Hadrian sat at one end of the great white-marble arc-shaped seat. A yard away sixteen cardinals spread their vermilion along the same seat. Little tables stood before them with tea, goat's milk, triscuits and raisins. The Pope preferred to sit here where the pavement was of marble: because lizards avoided it, and their creepy-crawly jerks on grass or gravel shocked his nerves. He was sure that reptiles were diabolical and unclean; and His taste was for the angelic and the clean. He smoked a cigarette; and flung a subject to His Court, as one flings corn to chickens. "Was not the question of requiems for Non-Catholics settled two or three years ago?" replied Courtleigh. "Yes:" said Talacryn. "It was declared impossible, profane, inconsistent." "Why?" Hadrian's predilection was for the inconsistent, rather than for that undevelopable fossil which goes by the name of consistency. "It would be inconsistent, Holiness, for the Church to proclaim, by the most solemn act of Her ministry, as a child submissive to Her, one who always refused; or certainly never consented, to recognise Her as a mother--one who, while alive, would have rejected any such recognition as a grave insult and an irreparable misfortune;" Talacryn responded. "I don't follow Your Eminency," said Whitehead: "it's eloquent--but it's only eloquence." "Isn't Cardinal Talacryn rather begging the question, Holiness?" Leighton enquired. "Who spoke of proclaiming as a submissive child one who never was submissive?" "Holy Mass is the public and solemn testimony of visible communion; the _tessera communionis_, if I may use the term; and, therefore, the Church can only offer publicly for those who have departed this life as members of that visible communion:" Talacryn persisted. "Holy Mass is a great deal more than that!" interjected Carvale. "Yes?"