"There always has been. He is a most incomprehensible creature, indeed:" Talacryn pronounced. "One might expect anything, everything of Him: the height and depth of good and bad: extreme virtue, extreme vice: one almost could believe Him to be capable of anything:" Sterling adjudicated. "Oh yes, until you have heard Him explain," little Carvale put in. "Did none of Your Eminencies ever watch Him in His talk? I have. Shall I tell you the difference between our Holy Father and ourselves? We see things from a single view-point. He sees things from several. We decide that the thing is as we see it. But He has seen it otherwise, and He presents it as a more or less complete coaction of its qualities. See this sapphire. Well, you see the face of it: underneath, if I take it off my finger, there are a number of facets to be seen and a number more which are hidden by the gold of the setting. Now my meaning is that our Holy Father has seen all the facets as well as the table of the sapphire, or the thing. Consequently He knows a great deal more about the sapphire, or the thing, than we do. You must have noted that in Him. You must have noted how that every now and then, when He deigns to explain, He makes mysteries appear most wonderfully lucid." "But, if one might venture to ask, how often does He condescend to explain--except to His cat?" Sterling interjected. "I'm bound to admit that He opened my eyes considerably during that fortnight we spent together in town just before His election," Courtleigh threw out of his chair. Ragna went to him and spoke of the desirability of capital punishment. "Well, anyhow, I believe in Him," Whitehead murmured. "Yes:" Leighton energetically blinked. "You'll excuse me if I'm shoppy, but I say with St. Anselm, 'Neque enim quæro intelligere ut credam: sed credo ut intelligam. Nam et hoc credo quia nisi credidero non intelligam.'" The gong in the secret chamber loudly and suddenly sounded. The scarlet limbs of Sir John and Sir Iulo darted towards it. Talacryn was shaking an unwilling dubious head. Van Kristen gave him a tall look of disgust. "Well, I guess Your Eminency will feel pretty small some day if you don't believe in Him too. There are no flies on Hadrian:" and he stalked away with the dignity of a grand boy honourably enraged. "No no, Percy," said Talacryn, running after him. "Of course I believe in Him: but just for that reason I don't want Him to defend Himself. I want to keep Him quiet. I think it unwise to rake up the past. There would be so many frightful scandals, whatever." "Have you told Him that?" "Have I not indeed." "And what did He say?" Talacryn once more shook his head. "Well then I advise Your Eminency to go 'way back and sit down,' as we say in the States."