y others he rescued
and succoured, but he neither slew nor smote any man thereafter.

Now for eight long years Rheinfrid lived in the quiet of the cloister,
striving to be patient and to await God's own time; and his daily
prayer was that of the Psalmist: "How long wilt Thou forget me, O Lord?
For ever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?"

In the ninth year, after long sickness, the soul of Agelwyn passed out
of the shadow of this flesh unto the clemency of God, and shortly after
his death a weariness of well-doing and a loathing of the dull days of
prayer beset Rheinfrid; and voices of the joy of life called to him to
strip off his cowl and flee from his living tomb.

As he knelt struggling with the temptation the little Child crowned
with roses stood beside him, looking at him with sad reproachful eyes.
"Couldst thou not be patient a little while?" he asked.

"A little while!" exclaimed Rheinfrid; "see! twelve, thirteen, long
years have gone by, and is that a little while?"

But the Child answered gravely: "An evil thing is impatience with the
delays of God, to whom one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day."

And Rheinfrid knew not what reply to make, and as he hesitated the
Child began to fade away. "Do not go, do not go yet," he cried; "grant
me at least one prayer--that I shall see thee again at the time I shall
have most need of thee."

And the Child smiled and answered: "Thou shalt see me."

And the vision disappeared, but the fragrance of the roses lingered
long in the little cell.

Then was Walter the Norman made Abbot, and forthwith he began to build
a vast and beautiful minster, the fame of which should be rumoured
through all the land. Speedily he emptied the five great chests filled
with silver which Agelwyn had left, and then there set in a dearth of
timber and stone and money, but the Abbot bethought him of a device for
escaping from his difficulties. He took into his counsel the wise
monks Hereman and Rheinfrid, because they had both travelled through
many shires, and he entrusted to them the shrine containing the relics
of St. Egwin, and bade them go on a pilgrimage from one rich city to
another, making known their need, exhorting the people to charity, and
gathering gifts of all kinds for the building of the minster. So with
lay-brothers to serve them and a horse to carry the holy shrine, the
monks began their journey, and, singing joyful canticles, the
b