had
fared and where he might now be, the Abbot would sometimes break
silence and say: "I see our brother resting in such or such a cell," or
"Our brother is even now singing a psalm as he drifts in his small boat
of skins down this or that river," or, perchance, "Our brother is
coming over the hill and in an hour he will be with us."

In the abbey there was a certain lay-brother, dull and slow of wit,
with a hindrance in his speech; and one of the monks despised him and
scoffed at his defect of nature. This lay-brother had the care of the
garden of pot-herbs and fruit-trees, and as he was toiling there one
day the Abbot called the uncharitable monk to him, and said: "Come, let
us see what our brother the Fool is doing."

The monk trembled when he heard those words, for he knew that his
scornfulness had been discovered, and he followed the Abbot in great
confusion. In the garden they found the lay-brother planting cabbages.

"Is our brother the Fool alone?" asked the Abbot.

"Our brother is alone, father," replied the monk.

Then the Abbot touched the monk's eyes, and straightway he saw that the
lay-brother was not alone: beside him were two radiant child-angels,
one of whom held for him a basket containing the young plants, and the
second walked to and fro playing on a lute to lighten his labour.
Then, overwhelmed with shame, the monk fell on his knees, confessing
his sin and promising amendment.

More strange than this is the story I have now to tell. It happened
through mischance that fire broke out in the abbey, and the flames were
spreading so fiercely from one wattled cell to another that there was
great danger of the whole monastery being destroyed. With piteous
cries the religious surrounded the Abbot, and besought him to intercede
with God that their home might be spared.

Spiridion gently shook his head. "The mercy of God," he replied, "has
given it to another to intercede for us in our danger this day. The
holy Pontiff, Gregory, has looked out of Rome and seen us in our
trouble. At this moment he is kneeling in prayer for us, and his
supplication on our behalf will avail."

Even while Spiridion was speaking, the Pope, far away in the Golden
City, beheld the flames rising from the abbey, and called his household
to join him in entreating heaven; and at once it was seen that the
flames were being beaten to the ground and extinguished as though
invisible hands were beating them down with invisibl