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The Eternal City, a novel by Hall Caine |
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Part 7. The Pope - Chapter 7 |
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_ PART SEVEN. THE POPE CHAPTER VII The Monsignor was young, tall, slight, almost fragile, and had thin black hair and large spiritual eyes. As he entered in the long black overcoat, which covered his cassock, he bowed and looked slowly round the room. His subdued expression was that of a sheep going through a gate where the dogs may be, and his manner suggested that he would fly at the first alarm. The Baron looked over his eye-glasses and measured his man in a moment. "Pray sit," he said, and at the next moment the young Monsignor and the Baron were seated at opposite sides of the table. "I am sent to you by a venerable and illustrious personage...." "Let us say the Pope," said the Baron. The young Monsignor bowed and continued, "to offer on his behalf a word of counsel and of warning." "It is an unusual and distinguished honour," said the Baron. "I am instructed to inform you that the Holy Father has reason to believe a further and more serious insurrection is preparing, and to warn you to take the necessary steps to secure public order and to prevent bloodshed." The Baron did not move a muscle. "If the Holy Father has special knowledge of a plot that is impending...." "Not special, only general, but sufficient to enable him to tell you to hold yourself in readiness." "How long has the Holy Father been aware of this?" "Not long. In fact, only since yesterday morning," said the Monsignor, and fearing he had said too much he added, "I only mention this to show you that the Holy Father has lost no time." "But if the Holy Father knows that a conspiracy is afoot, he can no doubt help us to further information." The Monsignor shook his head. "You mean that he will not do so?" "No." "Am I, then, to understand that the information with which his Holiness honours me came to him secretly?" "Yes, sir, secretly, and it is, therefore, not open to further explanation." "So it reached him by the medium of the confessional?" The Monsignor rose from his seat. "Your Excellency cannot be in earnest." "You mean that it did not reach him by the medium of the confessional?" "Certainly not." "Then he is able to tell me everything, if he will?" The Monsignor became agitated. "The Holy Father's information came through a channel that is assimilated to the confessional, and is almost as sacred and inviolate." "But obedience to the Pope obliterates from all other responsibility. His Holiness has only to say 'Speak,' and his faithful child must obey." The Monsignor became confused. "His informant is not even a Catholic, and he has, therefore, no right to command her." "So it is a woman," said the Baron, and the young ecclesiastic dropped his head. "It is a woman and a non-Catholic, and she visited the Holy Father at the Vatican yesterday morning; is that so?" "I do not assert it, sir, and I do not deny it." The Baron did not speak for a moment, but he looked steadily over his eye-glasses at the flushed young face before him. Then he said in a quiet tone: "Monsignor, the relations of the Pope and the Government are delicate, and if anything occurred to carry the disagreement further it might result in a serious fratricidal struggle." The Monsignor was trying to regain his self-possession, and he remained silent. "But whatever those relations, it cannot be the wish of the Holy Father to cover with his mantle the upsetters of order who are cutting at the roots of the Church as well as the State." "Therefore I am here now, sir, thus early and thus openly," said the Monsignor. "Monsignor," said the Baron, "if anything should occur to--for example--the person of the King, it cannot be the wish of his Holiness that anybody--myself, for instance--should be in a position to say to Parliament and to the Governments of Europe, 'The Pope knew everything beforehand, and therefore, not having revealed the particulars of the plot, the venerable Father of the Vatican is an accomplice of murderers.'" The young ecclesiastic lost himself utterly. "The Pope," he said, "knows nothing more than I have told you." "Yes, Monsignor, the Pope knows one thing more. He knows who was his informant and authority. It is necessary that the Government should know that also, in order that it may judge for itself of the nature of the conspiracy and the source from which it may be expected." The Monsignor was quivering like a limed bird. "I have delivered my message, and have only to add that in sending me here his Holiness desired to prevent crime, not to help you to apprehend criminals." The Baron's eye-glasses dropped from his nose, and he spoke sharply and incisively. "The Government must at least know who the lady was who visited his Holiness at the Vatican yesterday morning, and led him to believe that a serious insurrection was impending." "That your Excellency never will, or can, or shall know." The Monsignor was bowing himself out of the room when the Baron's secretary opened the door and announced another visitor. "Donna Roma, your Excellency." The Monsignor betrayed fresh agitation, and tried to go. "Bring her in," said the Baron. "One moment, Monsignor." "I have said all I am authorised to say, sir, and I feel warned that I must say no more." "Don't say that, Monsignor.... Ah, Donna Roma!" Roma, who had entered the room, replied with reserve and dignity. "Allow me, Donna Roma, to present Monsignor Mario of the Vatican," said the Baron. "It is unnecessary," said Roma. "I met the Monsignor yesterday morning." The young ecclesiastic was overwhelmed with confusion. "My respectful reverence to his Holiness," said the Baron, smiling, "and pray tell him that the Government will do its duty to the country and to the civilised world, and count on the support of the Pope." Monsignor Mario left the room without a word. _ |
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