en mentioned.
It was Positivism of a kind, Catholicism without Christianity, Humanity
worship without its inadequacy. It was not man that was worshipped but
the Idea of man, deprived of his supernatural principle. Sacrifice,
too, was recognised--the instinct of oblation without the demand made by
transcendent Holiness upon the blood-guiltiness of man.... In fact,--in
fact, said Percy, it was exactly as clever as the devil, and as old as
Cain.

The advice he had given to the Holy Father just now was a counsel of
despair, or of hope; he really did not know which. He had urged that a
stringent decree should be issued, forbidding any acts of violence on
the part of Catholics. The faithful were to be encouraged to be patient,
to hold utterly aloof from the worship, to say nothing unless they were
questioned, to suffer bonds gladly. He had suggested, in company with
the German Cardinal, that they two should return to their respective
countries at the close of the year, to encourage the waverers; but the
answer had been that their vocation was to remain in Rome, unless
something unforeseen happened.

As for Felsenburgh, there was little news. It was said that he was in
the East; but further details were secret. Percy understood quite well
why he had not been present at the worship as had been expected. First,
it would have been difficult to decide between the two countries that
had established it; and, secondly, he was too brilliant a politician to
risk the possible association of failure with his own person; thirdly,
there was something the matter with the East.

This last point was difficult to understand; it had not yet become
explicit, but it seemed as if the movement of last year had not yet run
its course. It was undoubtedly difficult to explain the new President's
constant absences from his adopted continent, unless there was something
that demanded his presence elsewhere; but the extreme discretion of the
East and the stringent precautions taken by the Empire made it
impossible to know any details. It was apparently connected with
religion; there were rumours, portents, prophets, ecstatics there.

* * * * *

Upon Percy himself had fallen a subtle change which he himself was
recognising. He no longer soared to confidence or sank to despair. He
said his mass, read his enormous correspondence, meditated strictly;
and, though he felt nothing he knew everything. There was not a tinge of
doubt upon his faith, but neith