"Your Eminence is without doubt aware of the cause of my visit to
you. If, as I understand, your Eminence was present at Notre Dame de
Lorette this morning, and witnessed the regrettable conduct of the
faithless son of the Church here present--"
"Pardon! This is my affair." interposed Vergniaud, stepping forward,
"His Eminence, Cardinal Bonpre, is not at all concerned in the
matter of the difficult dispute which has arisen between me and my
own conscience. You call me faithless, Monsignor,--will you explain
what you mean by 'faithless' under these present conditions of
argument?"
"It shows the extent and hopelessness of your retrogression from all
good that you should presume to ask such a question," answered
Moretti, growing white under the natural darkness of his skin with
an impotency of rage he could scarcely suppress, "Your sermon this
morning was an open attack on the Church, and the amazing scene at
its conclusion is a scandal to Christianity!"
"The attack on the Church I admit," said the Abbe quietly, "I am not
the only preacher in the world who has so attacked it. Christ
Himself would attack it if He were to visit this earth again!"
Moretti turned angrily towards the Cardinal.
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