"If it were absolutely necessary to choose, I should rather believe in God
than in the devil; power combined with goodness has always more
possibilities than the spirit of evil."

"Yes; but God wants one to do penance in this world."

"Are you always thinking of your indulgences?" replied Belvidéro. "Well, I
have a whole existence in reserve to repent the faults of my first life."

"Oh, if that is your idea of old age," cried the Pope, "you are in danger
of being canonized."

"After your elevation to the papacy, one may expect anything."

And then they went to watch the workmen engaged in building the huge
basilica consecrated to St. Peter.

"St. Peter is the genius who gave us our double power," said the Pope to
Don Juan, "and he deserves this monument. But sometimes at night I fancy
that a deluge will pass a sponge over all this, and it will need to be
begun over again."

Don Juan and the Pope laughed. They understood each other. A fool would
have gone next day to amuse himself with Julius II at Raphael's house or
in the delightful Villa Madama; but Belvidéro went to see him officiate in
his pontifical capacity, in order to convince himself of his suspicions.
Under the influence of wine della Rovere would have been capable of
forgetting himself and criticising the Apocalypse.