"St. Francis has innumerable sons, Holiness," Saviolli put in. "And We only know one who in the slightest degree resembles his father," the Pope responded, waving away the subject. "One would like to know," said Sterling, "whether Your Holiness is not really of the opinion that the _Epistle to the Princes_ was perhaps a trifle too sentimental and----" "Sentimental? Yes. The Ruler, who rules sentiment out of his calculations, ignores one of the most potent forces in human affairs. Too sentimental? No. And what else was Your Eminency about to say--a trifle too sentimental and----" "One would have said perhaps a trifle too arbitrary." "Dear man----" the Pope gleefully began. But Ragna interrupted "Nothing of the kind. That particular _Epistle_ was replete with pontifical dignity: it was the finest thing----" Hadrian stopped him "We were about to remind Cardinal Sterling that when the Ruler of the World geographically rules the world, He is accustomed to do His ruling with a ruler. Our predecessor Alexander VI. used a ruler on a celebrated occasion on the Atlantic Ocean." Everybody burst out laughing: laughed for a few moments; and returned to a serious demeanour. There was a question, an important question, which sat upon all tongues, wing-preened, ready to fly. But His Holiness already had refused to discuss it. Those, who had tried to persuade, so seriously had been hurt by His icy reticence or by His blunt aloofness, that no one now was temerarious enough to attempt the re-opening of so unsavoury and so personal a matter, except upon explicit invitation. Knowing what he did of men, Hadrian had expected hesitation: but, seeing that His purpose was likely to fail of completion; and, being determined that it should not fail, He slowly and significantly drew-off the pontifical ring from His first finger, and put it in His pocket. "Gentlemen," He said with quite a change of manner, "some of you would like to put George Arthur Rose to the question?" They would indeed. They would whatever. They would like it so much that they all spoke in unison. The sum of their words amounted to a request that George Arthur Rose would give them some sort of statement concerning newspaper calumnies, some sort of statement by way of support to their contention that he had been grossly wronged and mispresented.