hurried from him without answering. They
looked upon him as accursed. The prior spoke no more, but often Jasper
felt his stern gaze resting on him, and a shiver would pass through
him. In the services Jasper stood apart from the rest, like an unclean
thing; he did not join in their prayers, listening confusedly to their
monotonous droning; and when a pause came and he felt all eyes turn to
him, he put his hands to his face to hide himself.

'Pray, my brethren, pray for the soul of Brother Jasper, which lies in
peril of eternal death.'

V

In his cell the monk would for days sit apathetically looking at the
stone wall in front of him, sore of heart; the hours would pass by
unnoticed, and only the ringing of the chapel bell awoke him from his
stupor. And sometimes he would be seized with sudden passion and,
throwing himself on his knees, pour forth a stream of eager, vehement
prayer. He remembered the penances which the seraphic father imposed on
his flesh--but he always had faith; and Jasper would scourge himself
till he felt sick and faint, and, hoping to gain his soul by
mortification of the body, refuse the bread and water which was thrust
into his cell, and for a long while eat nothing. He became so weak and
ill that he could hardly stand; and still no help came.

Then he took it into his head that God would pity him and send a miracle
to drive away his uncertainty. Was he not anxious to believe, if only he
could?--so anxious! God would not send a miracle to a poor monk.... Yet
miracles had been performed for smaller folk than he--for shepherds and
tenders of swine. But Christ himself had said that miracles only came by
faith, but--Jasper remembered that often the profligate and the harlot
had been brought to repentance by a vision. Even the Holy Francis had
been but a loose gallant till Christ appeared to him. Yet, if Christ had
appeared, it showed--ah! but how could one be sure? it might only have
been a dream. Let a vision appear to him and he would believe. Oh, how
enchanted he would be to believe, to rest in peace, to know that before
him, however hard the life, were eternal joy and the kingdom of heaven.

But Brother Jasper put his hands to his head cruelly aching. He could
not understand, he could not know--the doubt weighed on his brain like
a sheet of lead; he felt inclined to tear his skull apart to relieve the
insupportable pressure. How endless life was! Why could it not finish
quickly and let him