mfort to me? ah! never! unless it can raise my victim from the dead."

"Take this crucifix in thy hand, fix thine eyes on it, and listen to
me," was all the reply.

"Yes, father; but let me thoroughly dry your feet first; 'tis ill
sitting in wet feet; and you are the holiest man of all whose feet I
have washed. I know it by your voice."

"Woman, I am not. As for my feet, they can wait their turn. Obey thou
me.

"Yes, father," said the lady humbly. But with a woman's evasive
pertinacity she wreathed one towel swiftly round the foot she was
drying, and placed his other foot on the dry napkin; then obeyed his
command.

And as she bowed over the crucifix, the low, solemn tones of the friar
fell upon her ear, and his words soon made her whole body quiver with
various emotion, in quick succession.

"My daughter, he you murdered--in intent--was one Gerard, a Hollander.
He loved a creature, as men should love none but their Redeemer and His
Church. Heaven chastised him. A letter came to Rome. She was dead."

"Poor Gerard! Poor Margaret!" moaned the penitent.

Clement's voice faltered at this a moment. But soon, by a strong effort,
he recovered all his calmness.

"His feeble nature yielded, body and soul, to the blow, He was stricken
down with fever. He revived only to rebel against Heaven. He said,
'There is no God.'"

"Poor, poor Gerard!"

"Poor Gerard? thou feeble, foolish woman! Nay, wicked, impious Gerard.
He plunged into vice, and soiled his eternal jewel: those you met
him with were his daily companions; but know, rash creature, that the
seeming woman you took to be his leman was but a boy, dressed in woman's
habits to flout the others, a fair boy called Andrea. What that Andrea
said to thee I know not; but be sure neither he, nor any layman, knows
thy folly, This Gerard, rebel against Heaven, was no traitor to thee,
unworthy."

The lady moaned like one in bodily agony, and the crucifix began to
tremble in her trembling hands.

"Courage!" said Clement. "Comfort is at hand."

"From crime he fell into despair, and bent on destroying his soul, he
stood one night by Tiber, resolved on suicide. He saw one watching him.
It was a bravo."

"Holy saints!"

"He begged the bravo to despatch him; he offered him all his money, to
slay him body and soul. The bravo would not. Then this desperate sinner,
not softened even by that refusal, flung himself into Tiber."

"Ah!"

"And the assassin saved his life. Thou h