One of the disciples at Littlemore was James Anthony Froude, the
younger brother of Hurrell, and it fell to his lot to be
responsible for the biography of St. Neot. While he was composing
it, he began to feel some qualms. Saints who lighted fires with
icicles, changed bandits into wolves, and floated across the
Irish Channel on altar-stones, produced a disturbing effect on
his historical conscience. But he had promised his services to
Newman, and he determined to carry through the work in the spirit
in which he had begun it. He did so; but he thought it proper to
add the following sentence by way of conclusion: 'This is all,
and indeed rather more than all, that is known to men of the
blessed St. Neot; but not more than is known to the angels in
heaven.'

Meanwhile, the English Roman Catholics were growing impatient;
was the great conversion never coming, for which they had prayed
so fervently and so long? Dr. Wiseman, at the head of them, was
watching and waiting with special eagerness. His hand was held
out under the ripening fruit; the delicious morsel seemed to be
trembling on its stalk; and yet it did not fall. At last, unable
to bear the suspense any longer, he dispatched to Littlemore
Father Smith, an old pupil of Newman's, who had lately joined the
Roman communion, with instructions that he should do his best,
under cover of a simple visit of friendship, to discover how the
land lay. Father Smith was received somewhat coldly, and the
conversation ran entirely on topics which had nothing to do with
religion. When the company separated before dinner, he was
beginning to think that his errand had been useless; but, on
their reassembling, he suddenly noticed that Newman had changed
his trousers, and that the colour of the pair which he was now