"Dear Brother, I thank thee for thy love and care for me; but my
call has come. As for these--" he stretched out his hand towards
the waiting novices--"maybe they are in the wrong school, and the
Lord hath even opened the door that they may serve Him, perchance
die for Him, elsewhere. And shall I count myself wiser than Prior
Stephen, who set me without the gate to learn my lesson? Let us go
in peace, my children, for we are about the Lord's business."
Very early next day, having eaten of Heavenly manna, the little
band embraced their brethren and set out, laden with food and wine
and herbs from the farmery; and the Prior appointed a place to
which the Convent should send daily all things needed.
The shade of the forest was very welcome in the hot, breathless
sunshine, and the scent of the pine-needles, odorous, pungent, rose
at each footfall from the silent path. The Brethren chanted the
Gradual Psalms as they paced two and two through the sun-lit
aisles, full of the Prior's memories; and he looked up again to see
Our Lady's robe across the tree-tops.
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