"Perhaps not. I believe that He has been preparing for me some such trap as that. But I distrust the Greeks even when they bear gifts. They say He says His prayers in Greek, by the bye." "I am about to request His Holiness to receive me." "Your Imperial Majesty's case is different. You are not likely to have fresh insults and fresh humiliations offered to you." "What do you mean?" "I mean that I cherish the memory of all ecclesiastical pin-pricks which formerly were administered to my father and grandfather." "Pin-pricks? What do you call pin-pricks?" "For example, in 1878, Pio Nono, from His Own deathbed, sent to reconcile my excommunicated grandfather, who was enabled to die in the Embrace of The Lord. A little later, died also Pio Nono. My father voluntarily returned the courtesy, sending his adjutant to offer condolence to the Conclave. Leone, who then was Chamberlain, ordered the Swiss Guard to refuse entrance to the royal envoy at the bronze gates--to refuse the message even." "Very clerical!" the Emperor said; and pondered a moment. Then "Will Your Majesty go to the Vatican with me?" "No, Sire: I never will go to the Vatican," the King replied. A telegram signed "Wilhelm I.R." addressed to the Prince-Bishop of Breslau brought Cardinal Popk to his sovereign at the German Embassy in Rome. On hearing the Kaiser's intention, he did his very best to persuade him away from it; and curtly was required to explain himself. "Majesty," said His Eminency, "no good can come of such a meeting, and much harm may. Our Most Holy Father is English; and, being English, He has the English quality of cynicism. With Him it is 'Et Petro et Nobis' in the highest degree. He is a man of strong likes and dislikes, fervently patriotic and therefore fervently anti-German----" "Your Eminency knows that?" "I have no explicit information: but, seeing the estimation in which those islanders hold us, I judge so. Sire, I beseech you to pause. I beseech you, I beseech you on behalf of your loyal Catholic subjects, that you will not expose your imperial person to the risk of an affront." "An affront, indeed!" "Majesty, remember what happened when you first visited Pope Leo." William II. laughed. "Cardinal, you are a very good German, and a--well, queer Roman." "Sire, I distinguish. I implicitly obey Hadrian as Vicar of Christ: I dislike Him as a cynical Englishman. I am anxious that Your Majesty may not have occasion to dislike this Englishman who is the spiritual director of your loyal Catholic subjects."