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The noble lord gave a seat to the reverend father, and taking one

himself, said, "Considering the friendship that exists between

us, I thought I was authorised to speak to your reverence of an

affair equally interesting to us both, and which had best be

concluded between us without going farther, which might-and I

will tell you frankly what it is, as I am certain we shall have

the same opinion on the subject. Tell me, in your convent of

Pescarenico, is there not a Father Christopher of ***?"

The father provincial bowed assent.