But Miles was not kept waiting to-day. His manner of dealing with semi-royal guards the previous day had not been forgotten, and they simply bowed as he passed, and he was allowed to go on through entrance halls and corridors until the secretary's desk was reached, where his name, address, and business had been taken the previous day. Here he paused, and the gentleman said, "The command from His Eminence is that you are to wait until he is at liberty to see you. Better sit down," he suggested as Miles stepped aside as if to be ready for the audience the next minute.
"Do you think I shall have long to wait?" asked Miles.
"I cannot tell; it is the Cardinal's orders that you should wait, and these we never question."
Miles sat down in the broad window seat close by, and for the first half-hour was amused and interested in watching the different faces of those who presented themselves to the secretary, who directed them to go this way or that, according to the nature of the business they came about. If any began to talk aloud, there was instantly a distinctly uttered "Hush!" from one of the waiting pages; and the business went on silently, swiftly, with just the slightest hum of subdued voices, as men spoke one to the other in whispers, or asked and answered questions at the desk.
This low hum of busy, half-suppressed life went on constantly around him, yet rather soothed than disturbed him. But it grew monotonous at last, and Miles drew from his pouch his precious Greek New Testament, in which he was never weary of reading. And so the hours slipped by, while Miles was mentally translating the gospel of St. John, to be rendered into English when he got back to Oxford.
Hour after hour slipped away, and the afternoon began to decline, and Miles thought he must surely have been forgotten. He was hungry, too, having eaten nothing since the morning, and he was just considering whether he had not better ask this secretary if he should go and come again the next day, when he saw an elegantly dressed gentleman come from another door in the gallery and speak to the secretary, who at once rose and directed his attention to Miles.
"You are waiting to see His Eminence?" said the nobleman, glancing at the book in his hand.
"His Eminence commanded me to wait," said Miles, bowing as he rose from his seat to reply.
"Then follow me," said the gentleman; and, preceded by two pages, he turned and walked away, closely followed by Miles.
It seemed to the lad, as he followed his guide, that the old Hall at Woodstock was nothing to this palace, with its passages and galleries, anterooms and halls, which they traversed before they reached the Cardinal's private room, where, it seemed, he had chosen to receive this messenger from Oxford.