I frowned slightly. It seemed to me that my employer, in his enthusiasm, was going a little too fast. I did not like having so much arranged for me in advance. This Cardinal Salvatierra, who was he; and in what way had he come to lend himself to the purpose of the King of Italy? ‘Does the Cardinal enjoy your Majesty’s confidence?’ I asked drily. ‘Not in the sense that you do, Monsieur V----,’ the King answered. ‘Salvatierra is one of the ornamental members of the College. He is a scholar and antiquarian, not a Churchman or politician. His collection of intaglios is said to be the finest in Rome.’ ‘May I venture to ask how much his Eminence has been told?’ ‘Only that I desire the election of a Pope who will be well disposed towards Italy. It has always been customary for the Sacred College to receive representations from the Catholic Powers of their views and wishes on the subject of Papal election. The only irregularity in this case is that, as the Italian kingdom is not recognised by the Papacy, I can only communicate with the College indirectly.’ [Illustration: “I found the Cardinal absorbed in the inspection of his newly arrived treasures.”] I listened to his Majesty with considerable inward misgiving. I was more than a little afraid of the guilt I might be incurring by entering the Conclave. At the same time I told myself that Cardinal Salvatierra had a right to introduce whom he pleased as his attendant; and if he was satisfied to take me, it was not for me to raise objections. After some further conversation with his Majesty, I retired to a hotel and effected a transformation which gave me the appearance of a respectable upper servant, such as a steward or valet, in an Italian noble family. Thus attired, I made my way round to the Salvatierra Palace, and sent up my name to his Eminence as Jacopo Luigi. ‘I doubt if his Eminence will receive you to-night,’ the porter informed me. ‘A case of exquisite cameos of untold value has just arrived for his collection--a gift from some great personage, I believe; and his Eminence is hard at work unpacking them.’ I had my own suspicion as to the source of this truly regal offering, and felt more than ever uneasy as to the lawfulness of my proceedings. However, it was not long before a message came down that I was to go up and wait upon his Eminence at once. I found the Cardinal absorbed in the inspection of his newly arrived treasures. Holding a delicate camel’s-hair brush in one hand, he was going over the cameos, carefully removing every speck of dust and holding them up to the light in search of possible blemishes. His Eminence was a tall, stately personage, refined and ascetic in feature, with a faded blue eye which fell on me with an expression of the most complete indifference.