Briefly, the audience seems to me assured." Pierre was greatly delighted by this promised certainty, which came to him so suddenly in that dreary drawing-room, where for a couple of hours he had been gradually sinking into despair! So at last a solution was at hand! Meantime Narcisse, after shaking hands with Dario and bowing to Benedetta and Celia, approached his uncle the Cardinal, who, having rid himself of the old relation, made up his mind to talk.

But his conversation was confined to the state of his health, and the weather, and sundry insignificant anecdotes which he had lately heard.

Not a word escaped him respecting the thousand complicated matters with which he dealt at the Propaganda.

It was as though, once outside his office, he plunged into the commonplace and the unimportant by way of resting from the anxious task of governing the world.

And after he had spoken for a time every one got up, and the visitors took leave.
"Don't forget," Narcisse repeated to Pierre, "you will find me at the Sixtine Chapel to-morrow at ten.