uoting Rachel, Achan, and Maachah. Yet
he never knew of the hair-cloth smock, the discipline, the cord and
sack-cloth that lay stored in the large carved awmry, and were secretly
in use on every fast or vigil, not with any notion of merit, but of
simple obedience, and with even deeper comprehension and enjoyment of
their spiritual significance, of which, in her cloister life, she had
comprehended little.

It was not she, however, who knelt with bowed head and clasped hands
before the altar-table, the winter sunbeams making the shadows of
the ivy sprays dance upon the deep mourning dress and pale cheek. The
eyelashes were heavy with tear-drops, and veiled eyes that had not yet
attained to the region of calm, like the light quivering of the lips
showed that here was the beginning of the course of trial through which
serenity might be won, and for ever.

By and by the latch was raise, and Cecily came forward. Lucy rose
quickly to her feet, and while giving and returning a fond embrace,
asked with her eyes the question that Cecily answered, 'Still in the
same lethargy. The only shade of sense that I have seen is an unclosing
of the eyes, a wistful look whenever the door opened, and a shiver
through all his frame whenever the great bell rings, till my Lord
forbade it to be sounded.'

'That frightful bell that the men told us of,' said Lucy, shuddering;
'oh, what a heart that murderess must have had!'

'Hold, Lucy! How should we judge her, who may at this moment be weeping
in desolation?'

Lucy looked up astonished. 'Aunt,' she said, 'you have been so long shut
up with him that you hardly can have heard all-how she played fast and
loose, and for the sake of a mere pageant put off the flight from the
time when it would have been secure even until that dreadful eve!'

'I know it,' said Cecily. 'I fear me much that her sin has been great;
yet, Lucy, it were better to pray for her than to talk wildly against
her.'

'Alas!' murmured Lucy, 'I could bear it and glory in it when it seemed
death for the faith's sake, but,' and the tears burst out, 'to find he
was only trapped and slain for the sake of a faithless girl--and that he
should love her still.'

'She is his wife,' said Cecily. 'Child, from my soul I grieve for you,
but none the less must I, if no other will, keep before your eyes that
our Berenger's faith belongs solely to her.'

'You--you never would have let me forget it,' said Lucy. 'Indeed I am
more maidenly