earth falling on her Gerard uttered a piercing
scream.

The sexton forbore.

Gerard staggered and put his hand to his breast. The sexton supported
him, and called for help.

Jorian Ketel, who lingered near mourning his benefactress, ran into the
churchyard, and the two supported Gerard into the manse.

"Ah, Jorian! good Jorian!" said he, "something snapped within me; I
felt it, and I heard it; here, Jorian, here;" and he put his hand to his
breast.

CHAPTER XCVIII

A fortnight after this a pale bowed figure entered the Dominican convent
in the suburbs of Gouda, and sought speech with Brother Ambrose, who
governed the convent as deputy, the prior having lately died, and his
successor, though appointed, not having arrived.

The sick man was Gerard, come to end life as he began it.

He entered as a novice, on probation; but the truth was, he was a
failing man, and knew it, and came there to die in peace, near kind and
gentle Ambrose, his friend, and the other monks to whom his house and
heart had always been open.

His manse was more than he could bear; it was too full of reminiscences
of her.

Ambrose, who knew his value, and his sorrow, was not without a kindly
hope of curing him, and restoring him to his parish. With this view he
put him in a comfortable cell over the gateway, and forbade him to fast
or practice any austerities.

But in a few days the new prior arrived, and proved a very Tartar.
At first he was absorbed in curing abuses, and tightening the general
discipline; but one day hearing the vicar of Gouda had entered the
convent as a novice, he said, "'Tis well; let him first give up his
vicarage then, or go; I'll no fat parsons in my house." The prior then
sent for Gerard, and he went to him; and the moment they saw one another
they both started.

"Clement!"

"Jerome!"

CHAPTER XCIX

Jerome was as morose as ever in his general character, but he had
somewhat softened towards Gerard. All the time he was in England he
had missed him more then he thought possible, and since then had often
wondered what had become of him. What he heard in Gouda raised his
feeble brother in his good opinion; above all, that he had withstood
the Pope and the Minorites on "the infernal heresy of the immaculate
conception," as he called it. But when one of his young monks told him
with tears in his eyes the Cause of Gerard's illness, all his contempt
revived. "Dying for a woman?"

He determined to avert