“True, Your Eminence.”
“But marked you not his deep reverence for God? And his sturdy honesty? And how, despite his embarrassment, the religious zeal of his soul shown forth?”
“He is morbidly honest, Your Grace.”
“A trait I wish we might employ to our own advantage,” mused the churchman. Then, continuing, “He is learned far beyond his years. Indeed, his questions put me to some stress––but only for the difficulty of framing replies intelligible to a mind so immature,” he added hastily. “Either he feared my presence, or he is naturally shrinking.”
“He is so by nature, Your Eminence.”
The Archbishop reflected. “Naïve––pure––simple––mature, yet childish. Have we covered the ground?”
“Not fully, Your Eminence. We omitted to mention his absorbing filial devotion.”
“True. And that, you tell me, is most pronounced.”
“It is his strongest characteristic, Your Eminence. He has no will to oppose it.”