"It is indeed," resumed St. Gal. "And I admit that my disciple, the holy
Mael, has, in his blind zeal, created great theological difficulties for
the Holy Spirit and introduced disorder into the economy of mysteries."

"He is an old blunderer," cried St. Adjutor of Alsace, shrugging his
shoulders.

But the Lord cast a reproachful look on Adjutor.

"Allow me to speak," said he; "the holy Mael has not intuitive knowledge
like you, my blessed ones. He does not see me. He is an old man burdened
by infirmities; he is half deaf and three parts blind. You are
too severe on him. However, I recognise that the situation is an
embarrassing one."

"Luckily it is but a passing disorder," said St. Irenaeus. "The penguins
are baptized, but their eggs are not, and the evil will stop with the
present generation."

"Do not speak thus, Irenaeus my son," said the Lord. "There are
exceptions to the laws that men of science lay down on the earth because
they are imperfect and have not an exact application to nature. But
the laws that I establish are perfect and suffer no exception. We must
decide the fate of the baptized penguins without violating any divine
law, and in a manner conformable to the decalogue as well as to the
commandments of my Church."

"Lord," said St. Gregory Nazianzen, "give them an immortal soul."