The sights of last night, the throng of officials, the stately, scarlet, unfamiliar figures of the Cardinals who had come in from north, south, east and west--these helped to reassure him again--unreasonably, as he knew, yet effectually.

The very air was electric with expectation.

All night the piazza had been crowded by a huge, silent mob waiting till the opening of the doors at seven o'clock.
Now the church itself was full, and the piazza full again.

Far down the street to the river, so far as he could see as he had leaned from his window just now, lay that solemn motionless pavement of heads.

The roof of the colonnade showed a fringe of them, the house-tops were black--and this in the bitter cold of a clear, frosty morning, for it was announced that after mass and the proceeding of the members of the Order past the Pontifical Throne, the Pope would give Apostolic Benediction to the City and the World.
Percy finished Terce, closed his book and lay back; his servant would be here in a minute now.
His mind began to run over the function, and he reflected that the entire Sacred College (with the exception of the Cardinal-Protector of Jerusalem, detained by sickness), numbering sixty-four members, would take part.