He was surprised to hear words of English uttered. He looked up again, and there was Hardy speaking, from beside the President's chair.
"Monsignor, you would not answer me just now. Now that I am speaking in the Council's name, will you consent to do so?"
"I will answer what I think right to answer."
There was a touch of amusement in Hardy's voice as he went on.
"You need not be afraid, Monsignor. We do not extort answers by the rack. I only wished to know if you would be reasonable."
The priest said nothing.
"Very good, then. . . . First we will tell you our intentions. At midnight, as you know, we keep our word, and the Emperor will have to go the way of the others. It is regrettable, but the Christians do not seem to understand even yet that we are in earnest. You will have to be present at that scene, I am sorry to say; but you can comfort yourself by ministering to your co-religionist. He has not had a priest admitted to him since his arrest.
"Immediately afterwards you will be set at liberty, and put on board the air-boat on which you travelled from Rome, with the same driver who brought you here, on one single condition. That condition is that you go straight to the Holy Father, tell him all that you have seen, and take with you one or two little objects."
He paused and beckoned to some one behind. A man came forward with a little box which he laid on the table. Hardy opened it.
"This is the box you are to take. Yes; I see that you recognize them. They are the biretta, the skullcap, the cross, and the ring of the late Cardinal Bellairs. There are also in this box the ring and a medal belonging to the late Prince Otteone. . . . You will take these with you as pledges of what you say. . . . Will you consent to do this?"