第 40 页

Deity. But at the same moment the pecuniary side of the question had

risen before him and spoilt his joy. If the enforced relinquishment of

the temporal power had exalted the Pope by freeing him from the worries

of a petty sovereignty which was ever threatened, the need of money still

remained like a chain about his feet tying him to earth. As he could not

accept the proffered subvention of the Italian Government,* there was

certainly in the Peter's Pence a means of placing the Holy See above all

material cares, provided, however, that this Peter's Pence were really

the Catholic _sou_, the mite of each believer, levied on his daily income

and sent direct to Rome. Such a voluntary tribute paid by the flock to

its pastor would, moreover, suffice for the wants of the Church if each

of the 250,000,000 of Catholics gave his or her _sou_ every week. In this

wise the Pope, indebted to each and all of his children, would be

indebted to none in particular. A _sou_ was so little and so easy to

give, and there was also something so touching about the idea. But,

unhappily, things were not worked in that way; the great majority of

Catholics gave nothing whatever, while the rich ones sent large sums from

motives of political passion; and a particular objection was that the

gifts were centralised in the hands of certain bishops and religious

orders, so that these became ostensibly the benefactors of the papacy,

the indispensable cashiers from whom it drew the sinews of life. The

lowly and humble whose mites filled the collection boxes were, so to say,

suppressed, and the Pope became dependent on the intermediaries, and was

compelled to act cautiously with them, listen to their remonstrances, and

even at times obey their passions, lest the stream of gifts should

suddenly dry up. And so, although he was disburdened of the dead weight

of the temporal power, he was not free; but remained the tributary of his

clergy, with interests and appetites around him which he must needs

satisfy. And Pierre remembered the "Grotto of Lourdes" in the Vatican

gardens, and the banner which he had just seen, and he knew that the

Lourdes fathers levied 200,000 francs a year on their receipts to send

them as a present to the Holy Father. Was not that the chief reason of

their great power? He quivered, and suddenly became conscious that, do

what he might, he would be defeated, and his book would be condemned.

* 110,000 pounds per annum. It has never been accepted, and the

accumulations lapse to the Government every five years, and

cannot afterwards be recovered.--Trans.

At last, as he was coming out on to the Piazza of St. Peter's, he heard

Narcisse asking Monsignor Nani: "Indeed! Do you really think that

to-day's gifts exceeded that figure?"

"Yes, more than three millions,* I'm convinced of it," the prelate

replied.

* All the amounts given on this and the following pages are

calculated in francs. The reader will bear in mind that a

million francs is equivalent to 40,000 pounds.--Trans.

For a moment the three men halted under the right-hand colonnade and

gazed at the vast, sunlit piazza where the pilgrims were spreading out

like little black specks hurrying hither and thither--an ant-hill, as it

were, in revolution.

Three millions! The words had rung in Pierre's ears. And, raising his

head, he gazed at the Vatican, all golden in the sunlight against the

expanse of blue sky, as if he wished to penetrate its walls and follow

the steps of Leo XIII returning to his apartments. He pictured him laden

with those millions, with his weak, slender arms pressed to his breast,

carrying the silver, the gold, the bank notes, and even the jewels which

the women had flung him. And almost unconsciously the young priest spoke

aloud: "What will he do with those millions? Where is he taking them?"

Narcisse and even Nani could not help being amused by this strangely

expressed curiosity. It was the young _attache_ who replied. "Why, his

Holiness is taking them to his room; or, at least, is having them carried

there before him. Didn't you see two persons of his suite picking up

everything and filling their pockets? And now his Holiness has shut

himself up quite alone; and if you could see him you would find him

counting and recounting his treasure with cheerful care, ranging the

rolls of gold in good order, slipping the bank notes into envelopes in

equal quantities, and then putting everything away in hiding-places which

are only known to himself."

While his companion was speaking Pierre again raised his eyes to the

windows of the Pope's apartments, as if to follow the scene. Moreover,

Narcisse gave further explanations, asserting that the money was put away

in a certain article of furniture, standing against the right-hand wall

in the Holy Father's bedroom. Some people, he added, also spoke of a

writing table or secretaire with deep drawers; and others declared that

the money slumbered in some big padlocked trunks stored away in the

depths of the alcove, which was very roomy. Of course, on the left side

of the passage leading to the Archives there was a large room occupied by

a general cashier and a monumental safe; but the funds kept there were

simply those of the Patrimony of St. Peter, the administrative receipts

of Rome; whereas the Peter's Pence money, the voluntary donations of

Christendom, remained in the hands of Leo XIII: he alone knew the exact

amount of that fund, and lived alone with its millions, which he disposed

of like an absolute master, rendering account to none. And such was his

prudence that he never left his room when the servants cleaned and set it

in order. At the utmost he would consent to remain on the threshold of

the adjoining apartment in order to escape the dust. And whenever he

meant to absent himself for a few hours, to go down into the gardens, for

instance, he double-locked the doors and carried the keys away with him,

never confiding them to another.

At this point Narcisse paused and, turning to Nani, inquired: "Is not

that so, Monsignor? These are things known to all Rome."

The prelate, ever smiling and wagging his head without expressing either

approval or disapproval, had begun to study on Pierre's face the effect

of these curious stories. "No doubt, no doubt," he responded; "so many

things are said! I know nothing myself, but you seem to be certain of it

all, Monsieur Habert."

"Oh!" resumed the other, "I don't accuse his Holiness of sordid avarice,

such as is rumoured. Some fabulous stories are current, stories of

coffers full of gold in which the Holy Father is said to plunge his hands

for hours at a time; treasures which he has heaped up in corners for the

sole pleasure of counting them over and over again. Nevertheless, one may

well admit that his Holiness is somewhat fond of money for its own sake,

for the pleasure of handling it and setting it in order when he happens

to be alone--and after all that is a very excusable mania in an old man

who has no other pastime. But I must add that he is yet fonder of money

for the social power which it brings, the decisive help which it will

give to the Holy See in the future, if the latter desires to triumph."

These words evoked the lofty figure of a wise and prudent Pope, conscious

of modern requirements, inclined to utilise the powers of the century in

order to conquer it, and for this reason venturing on business and

speculation. As it happened, the treasure bequeathed by Pius IX had

nearly been lost in a financial disaster, but ever since that time Leo

XIII had sought to repair the breach and make the treasure whole again,

in order that he might leave it to his successor intact and even

enlarged. Economical he certainly was, but he saved for the needs of the

Church, which, as he knew, increased day by day; and money was absolutely

necessary if Atheism was to be met and fought in the sphere of the

schools, institutions, and associations of all sorts. Without money,

indeed, the Church would become a vassal at the mercy of the civil

powers, the Kingdom of Italy and other Catholic states; and so, although

he liberally helped every enterprise which might contribute to the

triumph of the Faith, Leo XIII had a contempt for all expenditure without

an object, and treated himself and others with stern closeness.

Personally, he had no needs. At the outset of his pontificate he had set

his small private patrimony apart from the rich patrimony of St. Peter,

refusing to take aught from the latter for the purpose of assisting his

relatives. Never had pontiff displayed less nepotism: his three nephews

and his two nieces had remained poor--in fact, in great pecuniary

embarrassment. Still he listened neither to complaints nor accusations,

but remained inflexible, proudly resolved to bequeath the sinews of life,

the invincible weapon money, to the popes of future times, and therefore

vigorously defending the millions of the Holy See against the desperate

covetousness of one and all.

"But, after all, what are the receipts and expenses of the Holy See?"

inquired Pierre.

In all haste Nani again made his amiable, evasive gesture. "Oh! I am

altogether ignorant in such matters," he replied. "Ask Monsieur Habert,

who is so well informed."

"For my part," responded the _attache_, "I simply know what is known to

all the embassies here, the matters which are the subject of common

report. With respect to the receipts there is, first of all, the treasure

left by Pius IX, some twenty millions, invested in various ways and

formerly yielding about a million a year in interest. But, as I said

before, a disaster happened, and there must then have been a falling off

in the income. Still, nowadays it is reported that nearly all

deficiencies have been made good. Well, besides the regular income from

the invested money, a few hundred thousand francs are derived every year

from chancellery dues, patents of nobility, and all sorts of little fees

paid to the Congregations. However, as the annual expenses exceed seven

millions, it has been necessary to find quite six millions every year;

and certainly it is the Peter's Pence Fund that has supplied, not the six

millions, perhaps, but three or four of them, and with these the Holy See

has speculated in the hope of doubling them and making both ends meet. It

would take me too long just now to relate the whole story of these

speculations, the first huge gains, then the catastrophe which almost

swept everything away, and finally the stubborn perseverance which is

gradually supplying all deficiencies. However, if you are anxious on the

subject, I will one day tell you all about it."

Pierre had listened with deep interest. "Six millions--even four!" he

exclaimed, "what does the Peter's Pence Fund bring in, then?"

"Oh! I can only repeat that nobody has ever known the exact figures. In

former times the Catholic Press published lists giving the amounts of

different offerings, and in this way one could frame an approximate

estimate. But the practice must have been considered unadvisable, for no

documents nowadays appear, and it is absolutely impossible for people to

form any real idea of what the Pope receives. He alone knows the correct

amount, keeps the money, and disposes of it with absolute authority.

Still I believe that in good years the offerings have amounted to between

four and five millions. Originally France contributed one-half of the

sum; but nowadays it certainly gives much less. Then come Belgium and

Austria, England and Germany. As for Spain and Italy--oh! Italy--"

Narcisse paused and smiled at Monsignor Nani, who was wagging his head

with the air of a man delighted at learning some extremely curious things

of which he had previously had no idea.

"Oh, you may proceed, you may proceed, my dear son," said he.

"Well, then, Italy scarcely distinguishes itself. If the Pope had to

provide for his living out of the gifts of the Italian Catholics there

would soon be a famine at the Vatican. Far from helping him, indeed, the

Roman nobility has cost him dear; for one of the chief causes of his

pecuniary losses was his folly in lending money to the princes who

speculated. It is really only from France and England that rich people,

noblemen and so forth, have sent royal gifts to the imprisoned and

martyred Pontiff. Among others there was an English nobleman who came to

Rome every year with a large offering, the outcome of a vow which he had

made in the hope that Heaven would cure his unhappy idiot son. And, of

course, I don't refer to the extraordinary harvest garnered during the

sacerdotal and the episcopal jubilees--the forty millions which then fell

at his Holiness's feet."

"And the expenses?" asked Pierre.

"Well, as I told you, they amount to about seven millions. We may reckon

two of them for the pensions paid to former officials of the pontifical

government who were unwilling to take service under Italy; but I must add

that this source of expense is diminishing every year as people die off

and their pensions become extinguished. Then, broadly speaking, we may

put down one million for the Italian sees, another for the Secretariate

and the Nunciatures, and another for the Vatican. In this last sum I

include the expenses of the pontifical Court, the military establishment,

the museums, and the repair of the palace and the Basilica. Well, we have

reached five millions, and the two others may be set down for the various

subsidised enterprises, the Propaganda, and particularly the schools,

which Leo XIII, with great practical good sense, subsidises very

handsomely, for he is well aware that the battle and the triumph be in

that direction--among the children who will be men to-morrow, and who

will then defend their mother the Church, provided that they have been

inspired with horror for the abominable doctrines of the age."

A spell of silence ensued, and the three men slowly paced the majestic