Jerome Bonaparte swiftly entered the study, closed the door, and assumed a humble posture, offering a hand-kiss salute to the elderly man before him.
[Kissing the ring on Pope Pius IX's hand as a sign of piety. Some devout believers of lesser status would kneel before Pope Pius IX and kiss his boot. Every year during the carnival, a group of devout followers is summoned by the Pope. This kind of activity has become quite commonplace.]
Pope Pius IX remained silent, patiently waiting for the completion of this hand-kiss salute by the second generation of the Bonaparte family.
"Your Majesty!" said Jerome Bonaparte after completing the hand-kiss, stepping back to continue showing due respect to this "God of the Human World."
