China when I was twelve years old."

"Ah, yes! It was there that he gained his reputation
as a missionary preacher. Have you been
his pupil ever since?"

"He began teaching me a year later, about the
time when I first confessed to him. Since I have
been at the Sapienza he has still gone on helping
me with anything I wanted to study that was not
in the regular course. He has been very kind to
me--you can hardly imagine how kind."

"I can well believe it; he is a man whom no one
can fail to admire--a most noble and beautiful
nature. I have met priests who were out in China
with him; and they had no words high enough to
praise his energy and courage under all hardships,
and his unfailing devotion. You are fortunate to
have had in your youth the help and guidance of
such a man. I understood from him that you have
lost both parents."

"Yes; my father died when I was a child, and
my mother a year ago."

"Have you brothers and sisters?"

"No; I have step-brothers; but they were business
men when I was in the nursery."