Remembering, however, the
high repute enjoyed by Your Eminence throughout your career, and
taking into kindly consideration your increasing age and failing
health, the Holy Father commissions me to say that all these
grievous backslidings on your part shall be freely pardoned if you
will,--Firstly,--repudiate all connection with your niece, Angela
Sovrani, and hold no further communication with her or her father
Prince Sovrani,--Secondly,--that you will break off your
acquaintance with the socialist Aubrey Leigh and his companion
Sylvie Hermenstein, the renegade from the Church of her fathers,--
and Thirdly,--that you will sever yourself at once and forever from
the boy you have taken under your protection. This last clause is
the most important in the opinion of His Holiness. These three
things being done, you will be permitted to return to your diocese,
and pursue the usual round of your duties there to the end. Failing
to fulfil the Holy Father's commands, the alternative is that you be
deprived of your Cardinal's hat and your diocese together.
"It is with considerable pain that I undertake the transcribing of
the commands of the Holy Father, and I much desired Monsignor
Gherardi to follow you to London and lay these matters before you
privately, with all the personal kindness which his friendship for
you makes possible, but I regret to say, and you will no doubt
regret to learn, that he has been smitten with dangerous illness and
fever, which for the time being prevents his attention to duty.
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