set the tips of his fingers together, and began to chat pleasantly
of his journey. Many were the pious offerings which had fallen to
him upon his way: that of the Sicilian lady who gave her little all
to be used to maintain the lamps in the basilica of the Chief
Apostle; that of the merchant encountered on shipboard, who gave ten
pounds of gold to purchase the freedom of slaves; that of the
wealthy curial in Lucania, healed of disease by miracle on the feast
of St. Cyprian, who bestowed upon the church in gratitude many acres
of olive-bearing land, and promised an annual shipload of prime hogs
to feed St. Peter's poor. By smooth transition he passed to higher
themes: with absent eyes turned to the laurel-planted court on to
which the hall opened, he spoke as if scarcely aware of a listener,
of troubles at Rome occasioned by imprudences, indiscretions--what
should he say--of the Holy Father. As Petronilla bent forward, all
tremulous curiosity, he lowered his voice, grew frankly
confidential. The Pope had been summoned to Byzantium, to discuss
certain points of doctrine with the Emperor; his departure was
delayed, but no doubt in his weakness he would obey. Verily, the
lack of courage--not to use severer terms--so painfully evident
in Pope Vigilius, was a grave menace to the Church--the Catholic
Church, which, rightly claiming to rule Christendom, should hold no
terms with the arrogance of Justinian. Could it be wondered that the
Holy Father was disliked--not to say hated--by the people of
Rome? By his ill management the papal granaries had of late been so
ill stored that the poor had suffered famine, the Greeks having put
an end to that gratuitous distribution of food to which the Roman
populace had from of old been accustomed. On this account, chiefly,
had Leander journeyed to Sicily, to look after the supplies of corn,
and seek out those who were to blame for the recent negligence. His
bushy eyebrows gave a hint of their sterner possibilities as he