"You cannot approve of the savage triumph of the letter on p. 416, in which Monsignor Cateran describes his victory: you cannot approve of the sneer at his enemy who could not be punished by damages—he has no means to pay, or the gibe at the freemasonry of the libeller, or the vicious malignant spite of the whole disgraceful document——"
"But, Holiness, the libel was a dreadful one and grossly unjust."
"But, Eminency, the accused was bound by his Christianity to suffer revilings and persecutions and the saying of all manner of evil falsely. He forgot that. In vindicating himself, he behaved, not as a minister of God but, as a common human animal. However, besides the so-called triumphant vindication of Monsignor Cateran, which The Slab glorifies in three separate columns, this same number bristles with improprieties. On p. 415, you have Dominican and Jesuit controversialists calling each other liars, and otherwise politely hating and abusing one another——"
"Oh, Jesuits and Dominicans!"
The Pope put down the paper, and looked. The cardinal collected himself for a sally in force.
"Your Holiness will permit me to say that all this is extremely unusual. I myself was consecrated bishop in 1872, fourteen years before You were a Christian; and it seems to me that You should give Your seniors credit for having consciences at least——"
"Dear Lord Cardinal, if We had seen a sign of the said consciences——"
The cardinal tottered: but made one more thrust.
"I am not the only member of the Sacred College who thinks that Your Holiness's attitude partakes of—shall I say singularity—and—ha—arrogance."