“If I understand you rightly,” Fleurissoire took him up, “the Jesuits are allied with the freemasons in this affair.” “How do you make that out?” “But Monsieur Bardolotti has just revealed....” “Don’t make him say absurdities.” “I’m sorry. I know so little about politics.” “That is why you must believe just what you are told and no more: two great parties are facing each other--the Lodge and the Company of Jesus; and as we who are in the secret cannot get support from either of them without discovering ourselves, we have them both against us.” “What do you think of that? Eh?” asked the Cardinal. Fleurissoire had given up thinking; he was utterly bewildered. “Yes, they are all against us,” went on Protos; “such is always the way when one has truth on one’s side.” “Ah! how happy I was when I knew nothing!” wailed Fleurissoire. “Alas! never, never more shall I be able to know nothing!” ... “He has not yet told you all,” continued Protos, touching him gently on the shoulder. “Prepare for something more terrible still....” Then, leaning forward, he whispered: “In spite of every precaution, the secret has leaked out; a certain number of sharpers are using it to make a house-to-house collection in the departments which have a reputation for piety; they act in the name of the Crusade and rake in money which in reality ought to come to us.” “How frightful!” “Added to which,” said Bardolotti, “they throw discredit and suspicion on us and oblige us more than ever to make use of the greatest cunning and caution.” “Look here! Read this!” said Protos, holding out a copy of the _Croix_ to Fleurissoire; “it’s the day before yesterday’s paper. This short paragraph tells its own story!” “‘We cannot too earnestly warn devout souls against certain individuals who are going about the country disguised as ecclesiastics, and in particular against a certain pseudo-canon who, under pretext of being entrusted with a secret mission, shamefully abuses the credulity of the public and actually extorts money from them for a so-called CRUSADE FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF THE POPE. The name alone sufficiently proclaims the absurdity of the business.’” Fleurissoire felt the ground give way beneath his feet. “Whom can one trust then? Shall I tell you in my turn, gentlemen, that it is perhaps due to this very swindler--this false canon, I mean--that I am with you to-day?” Father Cave looked gravely at the Cardinal, then, striking his fist on the table: “I suspected as much!” he cried. “Everything contributed to make me fear,” continued Fleurissoire, “that the person who informed me of the affair was herself a victim of this rogue’s blandishments.” “It would not surprise me,” said Protos. “You see now,” went on Bardolotti, “how difficult our position is, between these sharpers on the one hand, who have stepped into our shoes, and the police on the other, who, when they mean to catch _them_, may very well lay hold upon _us_ instead.”