Поющие в терновнике

           He,anon-Italian,tobehonoredwiththePapalLegation!Itwasunheardof!Oh,dependonit,hewouldbeCardinaldeBricassartyet!

           "OfcourseyouwillreceivetrainingandinstructioninRomefirst.Thatwilltakeaboutsixmonths,duringwhichIwillbewithyoutointroduceyoutothosewhoaremyfriends.Iwantthemtoknowyou,becausethetimewillcomewhenIshallsendforyou,Ralph,tohelpmewithmyworkintheVatican."

           "YourGrace,Ican’tthankyouenough!It’sduetoyou,thisgreatchance."

           "GodgrantIamsufficientlyintelligenttoseewhenamanistooabletoleaveinobscurity,Ralph!Nowletuskneelandpray.Godisverygood."

           Hisrosarybeadsandmissalweresittingonatablenearby;handtrembling,BishopRalphreachedforthebeadsandknockedthemissaltothefloor.Itfellopenatthemiddle.TheArchbishop,whowasclosertoit,pickeditupandlookedcuriouslyatthebrown,tissue-thinshapewhichhadoncebeenarose.

           "Howextraordinary!Whydoyoukeepthis?Isitamemoryofyourhome,orperhapsofyourmother?"Theeyeswhichsawthroughguileanddissimulationwerelookingstraightathim,andtherewasnotimetodisguisehisemotion,orhisapprehension.

           "No."Hegrimaced."Iwantnomemoriesofmymother."

           "Butitmusthavegreatmeaningforyou,thatyoustoreitsolovinglywithinthepagesofthebookmostdeartoyou.Ofwhatdoesitspeak?"

           "OfaloveaspureasthatIbearmyGod,Vittorio.Itdoesthebooknothingbuthonor."

           "ThatIdeduced,becauseIknowyou.