"If I can be of any service to you, it will afford me pleasure to be commanded by you. I do believe, however, that the holy father, the Pope, has a plan which would save you very much trouble. I wish you would permit me to present it--as an individual." "You are at perfect liberty to do that. Be seated and I will hear you." The Jesuit re-seated himself. The camel's nose had found entrance, and the rest of the body was about to follow. "The Spanish friars are at the bottom of all the trouble in the Philippines. The Aglipayan schism came because of them, and the many revolts that have disturbed the islands for the past three centuries have been because the people wanted native rather than Spanish priests. Now Leo, who has always been friendly to America and Americans, is desirous of removing the Spanish friars from the Philippines." Judge Daft leaned forward, evidently interested. "This concerns me greatly," he said. "Outline to me the plan more fully." The Jesuit ignored the request. Instead of answering him directly, he observed: "This would greatly simplify matters and make your problem sensibly easier of solution." "I am conscious of that," asserted the Judge, betraying eagerness, a weakness which revealed that he was being beaten in diplomacy. "America can easily handle the Spanish army. Your future problems will lie with pacifying the natives and adjudicating the conflicting claim of the two churches." "You understand the situation just as it presents itself to me." "You have splendid opportunities here." "You mean, to make a fool of myself?" laughed Judge Daft. "That is an opportunity that knocks often at every man's door. But I was not thinking of that. I was merely musing--speaking aloud the thing I thought--and a man never ought to do that." "Sometimes I think he never ought to speak aloud anything else than his undisguised thoughts. I shall insist on hearing this novel thing, the undisguised thought of a Jesuit." "I meant, opportunity to make yourself a reputation that shall lead to future political power. Who knows but that the presidency of the United States lies along this path?" "I am not ambitious." "I understand that; indeed, I was not thinking so much of you as an individual as of you in your position. I was musing, you know. We Jesuits naturally look into the political possibilities of things, and I am astonished at the possibilities I see before you." "War generally brings a warrior to the front. The people take pleasure in preferring their military heroes."