"Why do You say 'autocracy is supposed to be dead,' Holy Father?"
"Oh because the euphuism 'constitutional monarchy' has taken its place.
The twentieth century doesn't like the word Autocrat; and pretends that
the thing does not exist. But it does: not in the old hereditary form:
but Aristos, the Strong Man, invariably dominates. It's in the order
of nature. And Demos likes him for it, only the silly thing won't say
so. That's all. Semphill, you might send a marconigraph to the Earl
Marshal. We require news of this Congress of Windsor at least once a
day."
The Pope returned the gems to the beneficiato in attendance: took the
_Times_ with Him and went across the basilica into the gardens. A
tramontana bit Him to the bone; and He tightly wrapped His cloak round
Him, facing the wind and the blinding glare of the sun. He briskly
walked a couple of miles, until blood-warmth stung his mind into
activity. By Leo IV.'s ruined wall, He met Cardinal Carvale engaged
in a similar exercise, his delicate cheeks fervid and flushed, and
his grave eyes blazing. Good priests generally retain their bloom
through the full five-and-forty years of youth. Hadrian invited his
companionship and conversation for the return to Vatican. They were
a pair, these two medium-sized slim athletic men, the one in white
and the other in vermilion, both very brilliant in the sunlight, with
vivid aspect and vivid gait. They looked like men who really were
alive. Their discourse was just the vigorous rather epigrammatic talk
of wholesome well-bred men. As they turned into the court of the
Belvedere, His Eminency said "Oh, by the bye, Holy Father, perhaps I
ought to tell you that they cannot understand at St. Andrew's College
why You never have been to see them."
"But you understand:" Hadrian promptly put in.
"Well--yes:" the cardinal responded. In his candid gaze there was
intuition, sympathy--and something else.
The Pontiff read it. "When did they tell you that?"
"Yesterday."
"Oh. Do you often go there?"
"About once a fortnight, Holiness."
"Carvale, do you like going there?"
"--Yes, on the whole I do. The youngsters are glad to see me; and the
older men" (a radiant smile disclosed his exquisite teeth as he spread
an arm)--"they like vermilion to take note of them. And I think it does
my soul good" (he spoke gravely) "to visit the old place. I put it
off as long as I could: I would have been glad to forget the horrors.
Strange to say, I forgot them after I had been there a few times."
Hadrian's heart informed Him. He understood it all quite well. "Carvale
let us go to St. Andrew's now. We can get there in time for dinner."
The cardinal instantly looked happy; and the two continued to walk
swiftly through the City, going by Tordinona, Orso, Piazza Colonna and
the Trevi Fountain. As they passed the crucifix at the corner of an
alley, Hadrian bowed. His Eminency did not. "Why don't you salute our
Divine Redeemer?" the Pope inquired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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