"
And still smiling and chuckling, the custodian of the North tower
retired into his den there to await fresh visitors. The Cardinal
walked slowly to the corner of the street where his carriage awaited
him,--his head bent and his eyes downcast; Manuel stepped lightly
along beside him, glancing at his pale face from time to time with a
grave and tender compassion. When they were seated in the vehicle
and driving homewards the boy spoke gently--
"You grieve too much for others, dear friend! You are now distressed
because you have heard the story of one unhappy man who sought to
find God by self-destruction, and you are pained also lest another
man should lose God altogether by the deliberate telling of lies.
All such mistakes and follies of the world weigh heavily on your
heart, but they should not do so,--for did not Christ suffer all
this for you when He was crucified?"
The Cardinal sighed deeply.
"Yes, my child, but He told us plainly WHY He suffered. It was that
we might learn to follow Him, and that there should be less
suffering for the future. And surely we have not obeyed Him, or
there could not be so much pain and difficulty in the world as there
is now."
"If He come again, you think He would be grieved and disappointed in
His followers?" queried Manuel softly.
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