"His Eminence desires that you should approach him, Mr Hugh Glynn," he said in excellent English, although his tone was decidedly that of a Spaniard. "He has some offer to make to you which he believes it is well for you to consider. Pray follow me." And he turned about and led me right to the steps of the throne itself. By this time the effect of the incense had very largely passed from me. In a way I was under the influence of the drugs in the sense that I was conscious of a high degree of exaltation and moral fervour, but the lust for action had gone and left in its place a consciousness of extraordinary importance and power. Very low I bent before the bowed figure in front of me, and after the customary salutation: "Pax vobiscum," to which I found myself answering quite mechanically: "Et cum spiritu tuo," the cardinal addressed me, in rather laboured accents, in my own tongue. "I have had you brought here, Mr Glynn," he said slowly and with great care, "in a rather curious fashion, it is true, but none the less effective, although I won't stop now to explain it, for two special and momentous reasons. The first relates to the Order of St Bruno, from which I had you rescued in the moment of your initiation, for a cause that will quickly appear to all obvious enough. You have seen for yourself how the Prior and his brethren have come before me. They are, as a body, in my debt to an extent that would appal you, and yet, although I am probably one of the most lenient lenders in the world, you have seen for yourself how they attempt to evade payment by presents of costly jewels and of precious stones. Knowing this, I ask you, was it wise of you to want to link yourself with them? Remember, once you join them you become liable _ipso facto_ for as much money as they happen to owe and cannot afford to pay for themselves. As a man who has been trained as a lawyer--nay, as one who intends shortly to incur all the sacred obligations of matrimony--is it wise of you to rush blindfold into this zone of debt and difficulty you can have no certain knowledge of, no appreciation? Take time to consider it while I put before you the second reason why you have been bidden here to this audience chamber.