have never wished to rule,--I have only sought to help and to
comfort. But sixty-eight years of life weigh heavily on the
faculties,--I cannot wear the sword and buckler of energetic
manhood. I am old--old!--and to a certain extent, incapacitated for
useful labour. Hence I almost grudge my halcyon time spent among
simple folk,--time made sweet by all the surroundings of Nature's
pastoral loveliness;--the sorrow of the wider world knocks at my
heart and makes it ache! I feel that I am one of those who stand by,
idly watching the Master's second death without one word of
protest!"

The archbishop listened in silence. There was a curious shamed look
upon his face, as if some secret sin within himself had suddenly
been laid bare in all its vileness to the light of day. The golden
crucifix he wore moved restlessly with a certain agitated quickness
in his breathing, and he did not raise his eyes, when, after a
little pause, he said--

"I tell you, as I told you before, that you think too much; you are
altogether too sensitive. I admit that at the present day the world
is full of terrible heresies and open blasphemy, but this is part of
what we are always bound to expect,--we are told that we must
'suffer for righteousness' sake--'"

"We!" said the Cardinal--"Yes, WE! that is, OURSELVES;--the Church--
WE think, when we hear of heresies and blasphemies that it is we who
are 'suffering for righteousness' sake,' but in our egotism we
forget that WE are not suffering at all if we are able to retain our
faith! It is the very heretics and blasphemers whom we condemn that
are suffering--suffering absolute tortures--perchance 'for