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"By whose order, and for what?" asked the cardinal, in a tone which terrified his servitor.

They are attainted by the inquisitor-general."

"And what agency had you in taking them there?

"I acted under an oral order of the general, brought to me by Father Geriot. The ladies, your Eminence, had fainted in the choir; and, as they must be taken somewhere, I had them borne to the Inquisition, and placed under the care of nuns, who were there to receive them."

"You have compromised me, sir, and acted most unwisely. I cannot now express myself further; but take this signet-ring to the inquisitor-general, and tell him these ladies are protected by me. Say to him, I follow you. Go! get the fleetest horse in the stables, and lose not an instant of time - hasten, sir!" And the secretary put the ring upon his finger, and ran for the stables.

The cardinal ordered his carriage to come to the door; and, turning, said to Frank and Oliver,

"For reasons I will explain hereafter, we must go to the city." He apologized to the ladies and his brother, and begged them to remain till he returned, or to return at such time as suited them; but he and his friends must go into the city.

When they were about entering the city, the cardinal pulled his check-string, and said to his coachman,

“To the Inquisition.”

These were the only words spoken since their departure from the Casino, till they reached the portals of this the most dreaded prison-house in the world. The attendants of the cardinal, who had accompanied his secretary, were awaiting his coming, and the

portals were opened, and servitors with torches led the way across the court, from the door of entrance, to the apartments of the general, where the secretary met the cardinal, and delivered him a message in a whisper. The prince turned to Frank and Oliver, and, offering his hands, with a face expressive of joy, he said,

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They are safe!" And mountains of anxiety rolled off from the breasts of Frank and Oliver.

"You will wish to see them?" asked the cardinal.

"At once,” replied Frank.

The secretary, who had disappeared, now came back, leading the lady abbess of Angelique's convent. She bowed coldly to the husbands; and, kneeling before the cardinal, kissed his hands, and, addressing him, said:

"These ladies, your Eminence, were brought here in a state of fainting, and were excessively exhausted by the intense interest they felt in the scenes witnessed this day at Santa Croce. By order of the general, a couch was carried into the great chamber, and one of the familiars, our acting physician for the day, administered an anodyne, by my hands. They are now asleep. I will lead the way to their room; but it is proper for me to say these ladies cannot be safely removed till to-morrow. These gentlemen must be content to see their wives safely sleeping in the walls of the Inquisition, where they are well cared for."

"I go to see the general," said the cardinal, "and will meet you here.- Lady abbess, you have my honor in your charge; and you, gentlemen, my pledge, that your ladies shall be restored to you to-morrow."

The abbess folded her hands across her breast, with that humility of manner conventional with such persons; but there

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was a bright look of fierce anger as she glanced at Frank and Oliver, who followed her, through long galleries, to a distant part of the edifice, to a large room in which their wives lay sleeping, pale and exhausted. Oliver knelt down to feel the pulse of Annie, while Frank knelt and impressed a kiss on his wife's forehead. Having seen them for a few moments, they rose and returned to the vestibule of the building, where the abbess left them. The cardinal came, and, with a smile, said,

"We will now go home, and sleep soundly. To-morrow we will all meet again."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE LADIES RELEASED. FATE OF GERIOT.

THE next morning, while yet Oliver and Frank were asleep in their several chambers, they had their dreams dispelled by the entrance of Annie and Gertrude.

In the lowest whispers they told their husbands all that had happened; and, when they assembled for their family worship, having dismissed the servants, they again held a consultation; and Gertrude told them of her vision of Angelique, and the recovery of the testaments, more precious than diamonds, since they had been so gloriously dyed in the blood of martyrs. They had much to say to each other, and of the mercies bestowed- SO signally bestowed-upon them, in being the agents of God's grace to the souls of dear Blanco and Angelique.

The cardinal came at noon. He was never so kind and winning before. Our ladies ran towards him, and seized his hands and kissed them. Their gratitude in saving them from the Inquisition amused him. He little guessed at all they knew, and saw in their emotion only a childish fear of the tribunal of all others most dreaded.

"You were in no danger, ladies," said the cardinal. "They took you to the Inquisition because there was the lady abbess and her nuns; and Angelique, too, was there. And then you needed their instant attentions."

"Your Eminence is very kind," said Frank. "But I know there was danger; and a weight was lifted from your heart, as well as ours, when you turned to us and said, 'They are safe!'"

"I was glad," said the cardinal. And, glancing around the room, and seeing the doors closed, a precaution Frank took on the entrance of the cardinal, for they all had the dread of secret spies upon them, the cardinal proceeded, speaking in a very low tone: "It is due to you all, and to myself, that I should tell you, Geriot, a base, bad man, had denounced you all to the Inquisition, and had arrested your ladies in the arms of my own secretary and his attendants. It was an offence to my dignity; and he will expiate it by a life-long banishment among those tribes nearest the North Pole. I have seen the orders which will take him from St. Peter's this day and forever. My signet-ring reached the general in good time, and the sleep of these ladies was undisturbed. Whatever suspicions Father Geriot had to utter will die in his own breast; and Geriot, and others around us, will learn it is no child's play to cross my path; nor think they can put their bloody hands upon the ermine of my robes with

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impunity. Let this be regarded as concluded, and say nothing of this to any one." Having said this, the cardinal resumed his usual animated tones, and said to the ladies: "We did not have your company to dine, last evening; and I have called to ask it for this. Will you all come?"

"Gladly and gratefully," said Annie, on behalf of all.

"Let yesterday be blotted from your remembrance. It will pain me if it ever recurs to my memory; and more so if I have cause to believe it lives in yours."

Annie went to her room and posted up in her journal so many of the events of the previous day as she wished Father Roothaan and the inquisitor-general should possess. If they were not satisfied, it was no fault of hers; but it conveyed no censure, expressed no suspicion, while it recorded, in a lively manner, as the latest novelty, "a night spent in the Inquisition."

CHAPTER XXXVII.

VISIT TO ST. AGATHA.

THE events we have recorded made them think seriously of leaving St. Peter's City. They had not been idle. It was not a mere gazing at pictures and statues with them. The cardinal, in order to make their stay both pleasant and profitable, had