"Well, well! You were going to give me your own view of your Vocation."
"Your Eminency first was about to tell me how you found me after your letters to my publishers had been returned."
"I applied to several Catholics who, formerly, had been your friends; and, when they could tell me nothing, I had a letter sent to all the bishops of my province directing inquisition to be made among the clergy. Your personality, if not your name, was certain to be known to at least one of these if you still remained Catholic, you know."
"If I still remained Catholic!" George growled with contemptuous ire.
"People in your position, Mr. Rose, have been known to commit apostasy."
"And it is precisely because people in my position habitually commit apostasy that I decline to do what is expected of me. No. I'll follow my cat's example of exclusive singularity. It would be too obliging and too silly to give you Catholics that weapon to use against me. No, no, Eminency, rest assured that I rather will be a nuisance and poor, as I am, than an apostate and rich, as I might be."
The cardinal raised his eyebrows. "I trust you have a worthier motive than that!"
"I mentioned that I was not in revolt against the Faith, but against the Faithful."
"And the Grace of God?"