she who was so nearly slain by him she loved, forgives and is silent.  I submit to Your Holiness that this forgiveness and silence symbolise true Christianity, on the part of the poor child who has fallen under your displeasure,—­and that as the Christian Creed goes, your pity and consideration for her should somewhat soften the ban you have set against her on account of the work she has given to the world.  As a servant of Holy Church I deeply deplore the subject of that work, while fully admitting its merit as a great conception of art,—­but even on this point I would most humbly point out to Your Holiness that genius is not always under the control of its possessor.  For being a fire of most searching and persuasive quality it does so command the soul, and through the soul the brain and hand, that oftentimes it would appear as if the actual creator of a great work is the last unit to be considered in the scheme, and that it has been carried out by some force altogether beyond and above humanity.  Therefore, speaking with all humility and sorrow, it may chance that Angela Sovrani’s picture ‘The Coming of Christ’ may contain a required lesson to us of the Church as well as to certain sections of certain people, and that as all genius comes from God, it would be well to enquire earnestly whether we do not perhaps in these days need some hint or warning of the kind to recall us from ways of error, ere we wander too far.  But, having laid this matter straightly before Your Holiness, I am nevertheless willing to accede to your desire, and see my young niece and her father no more.  For truly there is very little chance of my so doing, as my age and health will scarcely permit me to travel far from my diocese again, if indeed I ever return to it.  The same statement will apply with greater force to the friendship I have lately formed with him whom you call ’heretic,’—­Aubrey Leigh.  Your Holiness is mistaken in thinking that I have assisted him in his work among the poor and desolate of London—­though I would it had been possible for me to do so!  For I have seen such misery, such godlessness, such despair, such self-destruction in this great English city, the admitted centre of civilization, that I would give my whole life twice, ay, three times over again to be able to relieve it in ever so small a degree.  The priests of our Church and of all Churches are here,—­they preach, but do very little in the way of practice, and few like Aubrey Leigh sacrifice their personal entity, their daily life, their sleep, their very thoughts, to help the suffering of their fellow-men.  Holy Father, the people whom Aubrey Leigh works for, never believed in a God at all till this man came among them.  Yet there are religious centres here, and teachers--Sunday after Sunday, the message of the Gospel is pronounced to inattentive ears and callous souls, and yet all have remained in darkest atheism, in hopeless misery, till their earnest, patient, sympathising, tender brother, the so-called