l our dependencies until we are ourselves no
longer dependent on the Reverend Father's eloquence and devotion and
endurance and personality. God has blessed us infinitely. Are we to
fling those blessings in His face?"

Brother Dominic sat down; after him in succession Brother Raymond,
Brother Dunstan, Brother Lawrence, Brother Jerome, Brother Nicholas, and
Brother Augustine spoke in support of the Father Superior. Brother Giles
refused to speak, and though Mark's heart was thundering in his mouth
with unuttered eloquence, at the moment he should rise he could not find
a word, and he indicated with a sign that like Brother Giles, he had
nothing to say.

"The voting will be by ballot," the Reverend Father announced. "It is
proposed to give up the Priory at Aldershot. Let those brethren who
agree write Yes on a strip of paper. Let those who disagree write No."

All knelt in silent prayer before they inscribed their will; after which
they advanced one by one to the ballot-box, into which under the eyes of
a large crucifix they dropped their papers. The Father Superior did not
vote. Brother Simon, who was still a postulant, and not eligible to sit
in Chapter, was fetched to count the votes. He was much excited at his
task, and when he announced that seven papers were inscribed Yes, that
six were inscribed No, and that one paper was blank, his teeth were
chattering.

"One paper blank?" somebody repeated.

"Yes, really," said Brother Simon. "I looked everywhere, and there's not
a mark on it."

All turned involuntarily toward Mark, whose paper in fact it was,
although he gave no sign of being conscious of the ownership.

"_In a General Chapter of the Order of St. George, held upon the Vigil
of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the year of Grace, 1903, it
was resolved to close the Priory of the Order in the town of
Aldershot._"

The Reverend Father, having invoked the Holy Trinity, declared the
Chapter dissolved.

CHAPTER XXVIII

DIVISION

Mark was vexed with himself for evading the responsibility of recording
his opinion. His vote would not have changed the direction of the
policy; but if he had voted against giving up the house at Aldershot,
the Father Superior would have had to record the casting vote in favour
of his own proposal, and whatever praise or blame was ultimately awarded
to the decision would have belonged to him alone, who as head of the
Order was best able to bear it. Mark's whole