heard the slight sound of
Beatrice's foot upon the wood. The shadowy form rose higher and higher
in the gloom, and stood upon the altar itself.

"Now do as I command you. Open wide the door of the tabernacle."

Unorna watched the black form intently. It seemed to stretch out its
hand as though searching for something, and then the arm fell again to
the side.

"Do as I command you," Unorna repeated with the angry and dominant
intonation that always came into her voice when she was not obeyed.

Again the hand was raised for a moment, groped in the darkness and sank
down into the shadow.

"Beatrice Varanger, you must do my will. I order you to open the door
of the tabernacle, to take out what is within and to throw it to the
ground!" Her voice rang clearly through the church. "And may the crime
be on your soul for ever and ever," she added in a low voice.

A third time the figure moved. A strange flash of light played for a
moment upon the tabernacle, the effect, Unorna thought, of the golden
door being suddenly opened.

But she was wrong. The figure moved, indeed, and stretched out a hand
and moved again. A sudden crash of something very heavy, falling upon
stone, broke the great stillness--the dark form tottered, reeled and
fell to its length upon the great altar. Unorna saw that the golden door
was still closed, and that Beatrice had fallen. Unable to move or act by
her own free judgment, and compelled by Unorna's determined command, she
had made a desperate effort to obey. Unorna had forgotten that there was
a raised step upon the altar itself, and that there were other obstacles
in the way, including heavy candlesticks and the framed Canon of the
Mass, all of which are usually set aside before the tabernacle is opened
by the priest. In attempting to do as she was told, the sleeping woman
had stumbled, had overbalanced herself, had clutched one of the great
silver candlesticks so that it fell heavily beside her, and then, having
no further support, she had fallen herself.

Unorna sprang to her feet and hastily opened the gate of the railing. In
a moment she was standing by the altar at Beatrice's head. She could see
that the dark eyes were open now. The great shock had recalled her to
consciousness.

"Where am I?" she asked in great distress, seeing nothing in the
darkness now, and groping with her hands.

"Sleep--be silent and sleep!" said Unorna in low, firm tones, pressing
her palm upon the forehead.