The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-09
MAURUS JOKAI

petitions are taken out of the hands o
 the pope by the secretary"
 Then 1t was very fortunate that
 wrote what l wished to say"
 l Tt was
 Well. I send my compliments to HI, | Holiness. Tell him 1t was 1 who proposed l in the Radical Club in Buda to have tn, picture of Pic Nono hung up in a golt
 frame-and if His Holiness smokes, l. cal
 serve him with fine 'Kospallage' tobac | cO---'
 The deacon went away to attend t,
 some business. Of course, our traveller
 desired to be at the Vatican in goot
 time. and when Hungarian in a strang country is invited to visit a distinguishes 1 person, he Is accustomed to be in such
 hurry that in case he is invited to appea
 In the morning he assists the servants il
 preparing the room; If he Is to be ther,
 In the evening. he helps them to ligh
 the candies.
 When they went into the waiting-room
 nobody was there except a deacon. whC
 had long list of names. and whenever
 visitors were announced by the servant
 he underlined their names with a blue pencil. They had time to look at the great paintlngs-the canonization of the
 Japanese martyrs and the fall of clois- holy colegium with great difficulty saved
 themselves from being killed by the fall l ing walls.
 They had come an hour too early. They heard the valet de chambre an- nounce the names of those who arrive | after them, all important, significant 1 names; foreign prelates, ambassadors | princes whom the major domo began to | arrange according to their rank-placine 7 them all in front of our acquaintances | Anxiously they listened to hear the name | of person announced for position be- | hind them, but none came. | It is annoying to see that everybody Is in front that nobody Is behind us; that | we are the last. the least important l When the waiting hall was almost full, | q chamberlain In black and gold uniform | entered through the side door and hast ened to the groups waiting at the end | of the salon.
 "serenissima Principessa di Cagliari!
 Nobilis Domina Vidua de Dorman. Egre- gus Dominus de Zfmand!' l Then he beckoned them to follow him. 1 That signified that they were to be | granted a private audience. | They were obliged to walk through the entire length of the hall, between two lines of eight hundred ladies and gentle- | men of high degree. all of whom gaze at | them in astonishment, and these three persons feel that the eyes of everybody are upon them. Some of those present re- cognize the beautiful Princess, and her | approach Is preceded by whisper as of 1 withered leaves rustling in the wind: | "Ah? La beata"'
 | At this unexpected change M. Gabriel l forgot his entire Latin oration so com | pietely that he did not even remember I the introductory words; 1t seemed to him. | too, as if three thousand sabers were dangling at his side and falling between his legs as he walked. The way to the place whither our friends are conducted can not be called short. The chamber | devoted to private audiences is not, as is | generally the case with other terrestial lords, immediately adjoining the great reception room.
 Far beyond, in room facing the gar | den, is the casino of Pope Pic Mono where l His Holiness, when there are ladies | among the nPtiti0nQrS ia wont fa rGpRiVn those to whom private audiences are granted.
 At the door in the corner stand the Swiss guards: our acquaintances have reached their goal.
 They stand before the first prince of | souls. whose empire Is limited by no hori- l zon; who rules over his subjects not only | on earth, but also beyond it; whom 1t costs but one word to cause the dead | one to become a saint, and the living one | to become dead; the awe-inspring, the unspeakaibly great. in the form of man with a smiling countenance. Many re- member that this smile is sincere. that 1t is the smile of happiness on the face of one who knows that he is a prince whom men love.
 The sorrowing "child'' knelt before the resplendent figure, and was happy to be allowed to wet his feet with her tears.
 She believed more in him, perhaps. than in God. The image of God may give him who in despair fees to 1t, tranquility and consolation but the suppliant may feel witha sorrow that he bows before only cold stone. or hard wood. which does not feel the warm kiss nor hear the fervent prayer, and that He who is represented by the image is far. very far away. But this is a living being who has a heart, in whose eyes shines the tear of com passion; who understands us, sees us, and can stretch out his hands to bless us.
 Blahca wept with joy.
 The prince of the world bent over her and kindly lifted her up. He laid his hand upon her head and spoke comfort ing, encouraging words to her.
 She receives these words as sacred and treasures them in her heart. Who would dare to doubt them?
 The bride may doubt the oath of fidel- tty made by the bridegroom before the altar; one may believe that the rays of the sun will freeze the flower instead of warming 1t: one can doubt mother earth, and believe that she will produce hemlock instead of the nutritious corn which was sowed; person may doubt the love of his parents the wisdom of the sages, the mathematical computations of astrono- mers, the soundness of his own reason, the right conception of his five senses but it was impossible to doubt the kind words which came from those smiling lips.
 Upon his gracious words the poor wo- man built, as upon a rock, the magnif- cent castle of her future.
 When the audience was over NJ Ga Drlel cOulO not SaIlStN hlmSelf as t0 what had happened, whether or not he had really knelt before the ecclesiastical prince and kissed his feet; whether he had really broken down in his address without proceeding farther that the words "Beatissime pater," or whether all was really dream. Mime. de Dormandy will tell him everything at home. Of this he Is sure: that pious hands had taken the petition of his client, and that conse- quently their purpose had been attained; and that this was all due to his efficiency as a lawyer
 the presence of mind so exceptional and so extraordinary in women, could relate that, while M Gabriel was stammering over his speech (no one could tell whether 1t was Hebrew or Greek) His Holiness took from his back pocket a simple, oval. lid, and, after having taken snuff there from. dreW from the same pocket of his gold and silver embroidered garment a common red-and-white handkerchief, like that which the Franciscans use at home.
 Of all this Blanca and the lawyer had seen nothing.
 XI
 A Warning.
 Princess Blanca paid the necessary visits in Rome. She called upon the family of M. Rossi. to thank them for their kind ness. which had been a real boon to her; and she visited the Countess-the wife of an Ambassador, who, in the absence of the Austrian Ambassador. represented the interests of the Austrian and Hun garian subjects. But Blanca did not eX- tend her visits farther Her sense of pro- priety told her that the presence of a young woman about to obtain a divorce huence over society. As long as iudg- ment has not been pronounced she is