Was not that scheme as old as the eternal hills, and as useless for practical purposes?
Why, it had been the dream of every zealous man since the First Year of Salvation that such an Order should be founded!...

He was a fool....
Then once more he began to think of it all over again.
Surely it was this which was wanted against the Masons; and women, too .-- Had not scheme after scheme broken down because men had forgotten the power of women?
It was that lack that had ruined Napoleon: he had trusted Josephine, and she had failed him; so he had trusted no other woman.

In the Catholic Church, too, woman had been given no active work but either menial or connected with education: and was there not room for other activities than those?
Well, it was useless to think of it.

It was not his affair.

If _Papa Angelicus_ who now reigned in Rome had not thought of it, why should a foolish, conceited priest in Westminster set himself up to do so?
So he beat himself on the breast once more, and took up his office-book.
He finished in half an hour, and again sat thinking; but this time it was of poor Father Francis.