time for the deliberations. Since then no further news has arrived."

There was a dead silence.

Then the Pope turned to the Syrian priest.

"Father," he said, "it was you who received his Eminency's messages.
Have you anything to add to this?"

"No, Holiness."

He turned again.

"My son," he said, "report to Us publicly what you have already
reported to Us in private."

A small, bright-eyed man moved out of the shadows.

"Holiness, it was I who conveyed the message to Cardinal Dolgorovski. He
refused at first to receive me. When I reached his presence and
communicated the command he was silent; then he smiled; then he told me
to carry back the message that he would obey."

Again the Pope was silent.

Then suddenly the tall Australian stood up.

"Holiness," he said, "I was once intimate with that man. It was partly
through my means that he sought reception into the Catholic Church. This
was not less than fourteen years ago, when the fortunes of the Church
seemed about to prosper.... Our friendly relations ceased two years ago,
and I may say that, from what I know of him, I find no difficulty in
believing---"

As his voice shook with passion and he faltered, Silvester raised his
hand.

"We desire no recriminations. Even the evidence is now useless, for what
was to be done has been done. For ourselves, we have no doubt as to its
nature.... It was to this man that Christ gave the morsel through our
hands, saying _Quod faces, fac cities. Cum ergo accepisset Me buccellam,
exivit continuo. Erat autem nox._"

Again fell the silence, and in the pause sounded a long half-vocal sigh
from without the door. It came and went as a sleeper turned, for the
passage was crowded with exhausted men--as a soul might sigh that passed
from light to darkness.

Then Silvester spoke again. And as He spoke He began, as if
mechanically, to tear up a long paper, written with lists of names, that
lay before Him.

"Eminences, it is three hours after dawn. In two hours more We shall say
mass in your presence, and give Holy Communion. During those two hours
We commission you to communicate this news to all who are assembled
here; and further, We bestow on each and all of you jurisdiction apart
from all previous rules of time and place; we give a Plenary Indulgence
to all who confess and communicate this day. Father--" he turned to the
Syrian--"Father, you will now expose the Blessed Sacrament in the
chapel, after which you will pr