le in England, eased us a little. But
if we are going to establish ourselves as a permanent force in modern
religious life, we must establish our Mother House before anything. You
may say that the Order of St. George is an Order devoted to active work
among soldiers, and that we are not concerned with the establishment of
a partially contemplative community. But all of you will recognize the
advantage it has been to you to be asked to stay here and prepare
yourselves for active work, to gather within yourselves a great store of
spiritual energy, and hoard within your hearts a mighty treasure of
spiritual strength. Brethren, if the Order of St. George is to be worthy
of its name and of its claim we must not rest till we have a priory in
every port and garrison, and in every great city where soldiers are
stationed. Even if we had the necessary funds to endow these priories,
have we enough brethren to take charge of them? We have not. I cannot
help feeling that I was too hasty in establishing active houses both at
Aldershot and at Sandgate, and I have convened you to-day to ask you to
vote in Chapter that the house at Sandgate be temporarily given up,
great spiritual influence though it has proved itself under our dear
Brother Dominic with the men of Shorncliffe Camp, not only that we may
concentrate our resources and pay our debts, but also that we may have
the help of Brother Dominic himself, and of Brother Athanasius, who has
remained behind in charge and is not here today."

The Father Superior then read a statement of the Order's financial
liabilities, and invited any Brother who wished, to speak his mind. All
waited for the Prior, who after a short silence rose:

"Reverend Father and Brethren, I don't think that there is much to say.
Frankly, I am not convinced that we ought to have spent so much on the
Abbey, but having done so, we must obviously try and put ourselves on a
sound financial basis. I should like to hear what Brother Dominic has to
say."

Brother Dominic was a slight man with black hair and a sallow
complexion, whose most prominent feature was an, immense hooked nose
with thin nostrils. Whether through the associations with his name
saint, or merely by his personality, Mark considered that he looked a
typical inquisitor. When he spoke, his lips seemed to curl in a sneer.
The expression was probably quite accidental, perhaps caused by some
difficulty in breathing, but the effect was sinister, and his s