True, it still laboured in secrecy, meeting every Wednesday, and judging and condemning without a sound issuing from within its walls.

But on the other hand if it still continued to strike at the crime of heresy, if it smote men as well as their works, it no longer possessed either weapons or dungeons, steel or fire to do its bidding, but was reduced to a mere _role_ of protest, unable to inflict aught but disciplinary penalties even upon the ecclesiastics of its own Church.
When Pierre on entering was ushered into the reception-room of Monsignor Nani who, as assessor, lived in the palace, he experienced an agreeable surprise.

The apartment faced the south, and was spacious and flooded with sunshine.

And stiff as was the furniture, dark as were the hangings, an exquisite sweetness pervaded the room, as though a woman had lived in it and accomplished the prodigy of imparting some of her own grace to all those stern-looking things.

There were no flowers, yet there was a pleasant smell.