died away in a soft hum of sound, as
sweet as honey, the chaplain said an ancient prayer, the purport of
which was that the Christian must watch and pray; that only the pure
heart might see God; and asking that the Prince might be blest with
wisdom, as the Emperor Solomon was, to do according to the will of the
Father.

Then the chaplain and the Duke withdrew; but as the Duke rose up, he
laid his hand on the Prince's head and said, "God be with you, dear son,
and open your eyes." And Renatus looked up at him and smiled.

Then the Duke went back to the little room, and prayed abundantly. It
was arranged that he should wait there until the Prince's vigil was
over, when he would go to attend him forth; and so the Prince was left
by himself.

For a time Renatus prayed, gathering up the strength of his mind to pray
earnestly; but other thoughts kept creeping in, like children peeping
and beckoning from a door. So he rose up after a little, and looked
about him; and something of the solemnity of the night and the place
came into his mind.

Then, after a while, he sate, his armour clinking lightly as he moved;
and wrapping his robe about him--for it grew chill in the church--he
thought of what had been and what should be. The time flew fast; and
presently Renatus heard the great bell ring the hour of midnight; so he
knelt and prayed again, with all his might, that God would bless him and
open his eyes.

Then he rose again to his feet; and now the moon was risen and made a
very pure and tender radiance through one of the high windows; and
Renatus looking about him, was conscious of a thrill of fear that passed
through him, as though there were some great presence near him in the
gloom; then his eyes fell on a little door on his right, opposite to the
door by which they had entered, which he knew led out into the castle
court; but underneath the door, between it and the sill, there gleamed
a line of very golden light, such as might come from a fire without. The
Prince had no foolish terrors, as he was by nature courageous, and the
holy place that he was in made him feel secure. But the light, which now
began to grow in clearness, and to stream, like a rippling flow of
brightness, into the church, surprised him exceedingly. So he rose up
and went to the little door, expecting that he would find it closed; but
it opened to his hand.

He had thought to see the dark court of the castle as he had often seen
it, with its tall