"You were well received at the Vatican?" he said tentatively.
"Not so well as I had hoped," replied the Cardinal patiently--"Not
so well! But the cloud will pass. I will go with you to the studio,-
-Manuel, will you stay here?"
Manuel bent his head in assent; he had just closed the before open
copy of the Gospels, and now stood with his hand upon the Book.
"I will wait till you call me, my lord Cardinal," he replied.
Prince Pietro then led the way, and Cardinal Bonpre followed, his
scarlet robes sweeping behind him with a rich rustling sound, and as
the two entered the large lofty studio, hung with old tapestries,
and panelled with deeply carved and gilded oak, the room which was
Angela Sovrani's special sanctum, all the persons there assembled
rose from their different sitting or lounging attitudes, and
respectfully bent their heads to the brief and unostentatious
benediction given to them by the venerable prelate of whom all
present had heard, but few had seen, and everyone made way for him
as Angela met and escorted him to a seat on one of the old, throne-
like chairs with which the Sovrani palace was so amply supplied.
When he was thus installed, he made the picturesque centre of a
brilliant little scene enough,--one of those vivacious and bright
gatherings which can be found nowhere so perfectly blended in colour
and in movement as in a great art-studio in Rome.
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