though Ramoni himself, was the only one whom he saw.

On the day the letter from the Vatican came, Father Ramoni, detained
in the cloister by the expected visit of a prelate who had expressed
his desire to meet the missionary of Marqua, passed Father Denfili on
his way to the reception-room. While Father Ramoni, summoning his
secretary to bring some photographs for better explanation of the
South American missions, went on his way, the blind man groped along
the wall till he reached the General's office. He had come to the door
when he felt that undercurrent of anxiety which showed itself on the
white faces of the General and his assistant, who stood gazing mutely
at the letter the former held. He heard the General call Father
Tomasso. "Take this to Father Pietro, my son," he said. Then he
listened to the younger priest's retreating footsteps.

Father Tomasso, frightened by the unwonted strangeness of the
General's tone, carried the atmosphere of tense and troubled
excitement with him when he entered the room the prelate was just
leaving. Father Pietro glanced up at him from the table where he was
returning to their case the photographs of Marqua. Tomasso laid the
letter before him and left the room just as Father Ramoni, bidding his
visitor a gay good-bye, turned back.

[Illustration: "I can't take it," he was sobbing, "it's a mistake, a
terrible mistake."]

Father Pietro was taking the letter from its large square envelope. He
read it with puzzled wonder rising to his eyes. Before he came to its
end he was on his feet.