And this is why, already three weeks ago, I myself handed your book to his Holiness in the hope that he would deign to glance at it.

I rightly suspected that it had not been allowed to reach him.

And this is what I am instructed to tell you: his Holiness, who has had the great kindness to read your book, expressly desires to see you." A cry of joy and gratitude died away in Pierre's throat: "Ah! Monseigneur.

Ah! Monseigneur!" But Nani quickly silenced him and glanced around with an expression of keen anxiety as if he feared that some one might hear them.

"Hush! Hush!" said he, "it is a secret.