in the affair, he resumed: "No, no; don't begin with Monsignor Fornaro.
Your first visit should be a very humble one to the Prefect of the
Congregation of the Index--his Eminence Cardinal Sanguinetti; for he
would never forgive you for having offered your first homage to another
should he some day hear of it." And, after a pause, Don Vigilio added, in
a low voice, amidst a faint, feverish shiver: "And he /would/ hear of it;
everything becomes known."

Again he hesitated, and then, as if yielding to sudden, sympathetic
courage, he took hold of the young Frenchman's hands. "I swear to you, my
dear Monsieur Froment," he said, "that I should be very happy to help
you, for you are a man of simple soul, and I really begin to feel worried
for you. But you must not ask me for impossibilities. Ah! if you only
knew--if I could only tell you of all the perils which surround us!
However, I think I can repeat to you that you must in no wise rely on my
patron, his Eminence Cardinal Boccanera. He has expressed absolute
disapproval of your book in my presence on several occasions. Only he is
a saint, a most worthy, honourable man; and, though he won't defend you,
he won't attack you--he will remain neutral out of regard for his niece,
whom he loves so dearly, and who protects you. So, when you see him,
don't plead your cause; it would be of no avail, and might even irritate
him."

Pierre was not particularly distressed by this news, for at his first
interview with the Cardinal, and on the few subsequent occasions when he
had respectfully visited him, he had fully understood that his Eminence
would never be other than an adversary. "Well," said he, "I will wait on
him to thank him for his neutrality."

But at this all Don Vigilio's terrors returned. "No, no, don't do that;