st read some day--the Inner Life of Pere Lacordaire. Most
fascinating! An inner life of intolerable horror until he had conquered
his natural affections."

"Father," said John, "one of our lay brothers has a little sister in the
world and she has fallen into trouble. She has gone from the place where
he left her, and God only knows where she is now! Let him go out and find
her."

"Who is it, my son?"

"Brother Paul--and she is all he has, and he can not help but think of
her."

"This is a temptation of the evil one, my son. Brother Paul has newly
taken the vows and so have you. The vows are a challenge to the powers of
evil, and it is only to be expected that he who takes them will be tested
to the uttermost."

"But, Father, she is young and thoughtless. Let him go out and find her
and save her, and he will come back and praise God a thousand times the
more."

"The temptations of Satan are very subtle; they come in the guise of
duty. Satan is tempting our brother through love, and you, also, through
pity. Let us turn our backs on him."

"Then it is impossible?"

"Quite impossible."

When John returned to the door Brother Paul was standing by the alcove
gazing with wet eyes on the text hanging above the bed. He saw his answer
in John's face, and they sat down on the form without speaking.

The bell rang for service and the religious began to pass through the
hall. As the Father was crossing the threshold Brother Paul flung himself
down at his feet and clutched his cassock and made a frantic appeal for
pity.

"Father, have pity upon me and let me go!"

The Father's eyes became moist but his will remained unshaken. "As a man
I ought to have pity," he said, "and as the Father of all of you I should
be kind to my children; but it is not I who refuse you, it is God, and I
should be guilty of a sin if I let you go."

Then Paul burst into mad laughter and the religious gathered round and
looked at him in astonishment. There was foam on his lips and fire in his
eyes, and he threw up his hands and fell back fainting.

The Father made the sign of the cross on his breast and his lips moved in
silence for a moment. Then he said to John, who had raised the lay
brother in his arms:

"Leave him there. Damp his forehead and hold his hands."

And turning to the religious he added: "I ask the prayers of the
community for our poor brother. Satan is fighting for his soul. Let us
wrestle in prayer that we may expel the