attempt to persuade
the chaplain to stay. He turned sadly away, and walked back with heavy
steps towards the Abbey. Overhead, the larks, rising and falling upon
their fountains of song, seemed to mock the way men worshipped Almighty
God.

CHAPTER XXIX

SUBTRACTION

Mark had not spent a more unhappy Easter since the days of Haverton
House. He was oppressed by the sense of excommunication that brooded
over the Abbey, and on the Saturday of Passion Week the versicles and
responses of the proper Compline had a dreadful irony.

_V. O King most Blessed, govern Thy servants in the right way._
_R. Among Thy Saints, O King most Blessed._
_V. By holy fasts to amend our sinful lives._
_R. O King most Blessed, govern Thy Saints in the right way._
_V. To duly keep Thy Paschal Feast._
_R. Among Thy Saints, O King most Blessed._

"Brother Mark," said Brother Augustine, on the morning of Palm Sunday,
"_did_ you notice that ghastly split infinitive in the last versicle at
Compline? _To duly keep._ I can't think why we don't say the Office in
Latin."

Mark felt inclined to tell Brother Augustine that if nothing more vital
than an infinitive was split during this holy season, the Community
might have cause to congratulate itself. Here now was Brother Birinus
throwing away as useless the bundle of palms that lacked the blessing of
a priest, throwing them away like dead flowers.

Sir Charles Horner, who had been in town, arrived at the Abbey on the
Tuesday, and announced that he was going to spend Holy Week with the
Community.

"We have no chaplain," Mark told him.

"No chaplain!" Sir Charles exclaimed. "But I understood that Andrew
Hett had undertaken the job while Father Burrowes was away."

Mark did not think that it was his duty to enlighten Sir Charles upon
the dispute between Brother George and the chaplain. However, it was not
long before he found out what had occurred from the Prior's own lips and
came fuming back to the Guest-chamber.

"I consider the whole state of affairs most unsatisfactory," he said. "I
really thought that when Brother George took charge here the Abbey would
be better managed."

"Please, Sir Charles," Mark begged, "you make it very uncomfortable for
me when you talk like that about the Reverend Brother before me."

"Yes, but I must give my opinion. I have a right to criticize when I am
the person who is responsible for the Abbey's existence here. It's all
very