aster Richard was a little dismayed at my lord's coming: he had
thought it was to be in private.

"It was to your ear alone, your grace, that I was bidden to deliver the
message," he said.

"My lord here is ears and eyes to me," said the King, a little stiffly,
and my lord smiled to hear him, and laid his hand on the King's knee.

That was answer enough for the holy youth, who was attendant only for
God's will; so he began straightway, and told the King of his
contemplation of eight days before, and of the dryness that fell on him
when he strove to put away his thoughts, and of his words with me who
was his priest, and his coming to London and an the rest. Then he told
him of how he heard mass at saint Edward's altar, and how at the
elevation of the sacring our Lord had told him what tidings he was to
take.

The King observed him very closely, leaning his head on his hand and his
elbow on the table, and my lord, who had begun by playing with his
chain, ceased, and watched him too.

Master Richard told me that there was a great silence everywhere when he
had come to the matter of saint Edward's altar; it was such an exterior
silence as is the interior silence that came to him in contemplation.
There appeared no movement anywhere, neither in the room, nor the
palace, nor the world, nor in the three hearts that were beating there.
There was only the great presence of God's Majesty enfolding all.

When he ceased speaking, the King stared on him for a full minute
without any words, then he took his arm off the table and clasped his
hands.

"And what was it that our Lord said to you, sir?" he asked softly, and
leaned forward to listen.

Master Richard looked on the sick eyes, and then at the ruddy prelate's
face that seemed very stern beside it. But he dared not be silent now.

"It is this, your grace, that our Lord shewed to me," he began slowly,
"that your grace is not as other men are, neither in soul nor in life.
You walk apart from all, even as our Saviour Christ did, when He was
upon earth. When you speak, men do not understand you; they take it
amiss. They would have you make your kingdom to be of this world, and
God will not have it so. _Regnum Dei intra te est._ ['The kingdom of God
is within thee' (from Luke xvii. 21.)] It is that kingdom which shall be
yours. But to gain that kingdom you must suffer a passion, such as that
which Jesu suffered, and this is the tidings that He sends to you. He
bids you mak