e heathenish dance round the golden calf. Thus Moses descending from
Sinai, in his wrath broke the tables of the law, as I now in my burning
zeal, curse the bond that unites me to ye, ye impious ones!"

They tried to pacify the zealot. Stephen had long since replaced his
pipe, the dancers stood at an embarrassed distance, and Eustace, who
could as quickly turn from prayer to the dance as from this to that,
was already sunk in profound meditation. "My brother," shouted the
infuriated man anew, "has been executed to-day at Florac, ten believers
have suffered martyrdom with him; I wished to rescue them, but have
been beaten back with my brethren with a great deal of bloodshed, and
in the mean while we forget our God, our misery, our faith, thus
scandalously bring curses on yourselves, voluntarily draw down the
malediction of heaven, the scornful laugh of hell voluntarily upon
ye,--does no fire then fall down upon the scum? does not the earth open
and swallow the iniquitous bands? Howl! howl! ye laden with sin, and
roll in the dust, smite on your stony hearts and be contrite before
the Almighty, that peradventure his mercy may awaken and a look of
grace from the fiery wrath of his eye may light upon ye."

He threw himself down and writhed on the ground. "Mercy! mercy!" roared
he in convulsions,--"No, there is no compassion, mercy is a lie, love
is no more!"--"Now is woe come upon us!" sighed Eustace, "our brother is
again fallen into his ravings! assist me with your prayers, beloved
brethren, that his reason may become strong again.--" He threw himself
on his knees by his side and prayed fervently. Duplant and Salomon came
forward, that they might help the old man in his supplications; but for
the present their good intention had no influence on the lunatic, who
was exclaiming as if unconsciously, while he was trying to tear himself
away from the arms of his friends who were supporting him. "Whither art
thou fled," cried he, "lost, wandered away, thou great inexpressible
being, whom we with stammering tongue wish to call God? It was a
fearful, a terrible event, when before the beginning of time, created
spirits in their arrogance rebelled against him, and would be God and
ruler and crush and annihilate him. Then he withdrew himself from the
rebels through the whole heaven of heavens, through all the starry
infinities, through the immensity of space, which thought alone can
reach, presentiment alone can fathom, and the audac