t and unhappy country, to
re-establish it in its ancient splendour. But reflect on it, we
are Christians before we are Penguins. And we must take heed not to
compromise religion in political enterprises."

Agaric replied eagerly:

"Fear nothing. We shall hold all the threads of the plot, but we
ourselves shall remain in the background. We shall not be seen."

"Like flies in milk," murmured the monk of Conils.

And turning his keen ruby-coloured eyes towards his brother monk:

"Take care. Perhaps the Republic is stronger than it seems. Possibly,
too, by dragging it out of the nerveless inertia in which it now rests
we may only consolidate its forces. Its malice is great; if we attack
it, it will defend itself. It makes bad laws which hardly affect us;
if it is frightened it will make terrible ones against us. Let us not
lightly engage in an adventure in which we may get fleeced. You think
the opportunity a good one. I don't, and I am going to tell you why. The
present government is not yet known by everybody, that is to say, it is
known by nobody. It proclaims that it is the Public Thing, the common
thing. The populace believes it and remains democratic and Republican.
But patience! This same people will one day demand that the public thing
be the people's thing. I need not tell you how insolent, unregulated,
and contrary to Scriptural polity such claims seem to me. But the people
will make them, and enforce them, and then there will be an end of the
present government. The moment cannot now be far distant; and it is then
that we ought to act in the interests of our august body. Let us wait.
What hurries us? Our existence is not in peril. It has not been
rendered absolutely intolerable to us. The Republic fails in respect and
submission to us; it does not give the priests the honours it owes them.
But it lets us live. And such is the excellence of our position that
with us to live is to prosper. The Republic is hostile to us, but women
revere us. President Formose does not assist at the celebration of our
mysteries, but I have seen his wife and daughters at my feet. They
buy my phials by the gross. I have no better clients even among the
aristocracy. Let us say what there is to be said for it. There is no
country in the world as good for priests and monks as Penguinia. In what
other country would you find our virgin wax, our virile incense, our
rosaries, our scapulars, our holy water, and our St. Orberosian liqueur