n uncle in the diplomatic
profession, and this had decided his own career. Moreover, a place at
Rome was marked out for him, for he there had powerful connections. He
was a nephew by marriage of Cardinal Sarno, whose sister had married
another of his uncles, a Paris notary; and he was also cousin german of
Monsignor Gamba del Zoppo, a _Cameriere segreto_, and son of one of his
aunts, who had married an Italian colonel. And in some measure for these
reasons he had been attached to the embassy to the Holy See, his
superiors tolerating his somewhat fantastic ways, his everlasting passion
for art which sent him wandering hither and thither through Rome. He was
moreover very amiable and extremely well-bred; and it occasionally
happened, as was the case that morning, that with his weary and somewhat
mysterious air he came to speak to one or another of the cardinals on
some real matter of business in the ambassador's name.

So as to converse with Pierre at his ease, he drew him into the deep
embrasure of one of the windows. "Ah! my dear Abbe, how pleased I am to
see you!" said he. "You must remember what pleasant chats we had when we
met at Cardinal Bergerot's! I told you about some paintings which you
were to see for your book, some miniatures of the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries. And now, you know, I mean to take possession of you.
I'll show you Rome as nobody else could show it to you. I've seen and
explored everything. Ah! there are treasures, such treasures! But in
truth there is only one supreme work; one always comes back to one's
particular passion. The Botticelli in the Sixtine Chapel--ah, the
Botticelli!"

His voice died away, and he made a faint gesture as if overcome by
admiration. Then Pierre had to promise that he would place himself in his
hands and accompany him to the Sixtine Chapel. "You know why I am here,"
at last said the young priest. "Proceedings have been taken against my
book; it has been denounced to the Congregation of the Index."

"Your book! is it possible?" exclaimed Narcisse: "a book like that with
pages recalling the delightful St. Francis of Assisi!" And thereupon he
obligingly placed himself at Pierre's disposal. "But our ambassador will
be very useful to you," he said. "He is the best man in the world, of
charming affability, and full of the old French spirit. I will present
you to him this afternoon or to-morrow morning at the latest; and since
you desire an immediate audience with th