New-York tribune., 1896-08-30


without unduly pressing her or appearing TO ASK ASK
questions. informed him that she was eczema
Bejant, only child to the late Roger bejan''
who had died two days before.
She filed his silver cup again, ana wheh
he drained the second draught he saw now
wonderfully beautiful she was. The great room
but family lighted, there were ohly rev
/ candles of wax placed here and there Dut one
stood on the table opposite her, and the light
fell full on her face. Her hair was OF the lsh'-
est haxen. her eyes were liquid blue ana irT
countenaroe wore an air Of unmstakab!e dis
tinction -
Santal drained a third draught and felt new
fire ooursng in his veins. and knew that IL was
/ love She spoke again In her low, clear voice
and now she longer kept her head bowed,
but raised it. looking at him as she SPOKE ana
their glance meeting he gazed into the depth Oh
her eyes and read there answering love. She
told him that to the bitterness of her fathers
death was added the bitterness or leaving her
home and going an outcast. she knew not
whittier All the estates passed by entail 10
"A distant cousin who would have her marry
him. and whom she hated, ana then she ma
her face again and sObhed as though her heart
would break.
They were alone in the shadowy hall, and San
tai felt an infinite pity steal over him Hemoved
nearer and sat by her side Lady he said and
his own voice sounded strange TO him and Ike
another's. do not grieve as one without nope l.
Anthony Santal, will give you home; VIII pe
your protector, and you shall be my Wlle ne
put his arm about her and drew her to HIM she
did not resist, but rather moved toward him, ana
great tenderness mastered him as Et feIt her
on his breast, and he bent down and kissed very
rcverently the haxen hair and then raised the
tear-stained face To his and kissed her on 'he
lips. So she sat locked In his arms; IL seemed
minute: and yet II seemed lifetime for the
event OF a lifetime had happened to him. and his
old life stood far away.
They SPOKE little and no one entered TO inter-
rupt their sweet fancies; but at length the tink-
ling of a bell. heard family from within reused
their attention. The girl rose. and, taking her
lover by the hand led him through several pas
sages to another part OF the house. They reached
at length a Gothic archway and passing through
Santal found himself in a chapel Here was
strong scent Of incense and the air was heavy
with the fume A few candles shining through the
haze gave look OF unreality to the objects on
which their light fell and left the greater part or
the building wrapped IN vague gloom. In the
aisle there was placed coffin. supported on tres
sells and covered with rich pail. There were a
number of persons present. all kneeling, notion
less. and apparently devoutly following the ser
vice which priest was conducting at the altar
his low, mOnOtonous chanting seeming only TO
intensity the stiffness. The girl loosed her hand
from Santars and. motlonlng hlm TO one OF the
benches toward the west, which only one man
was sitting she passed up the aisle and knelt on
a fald- stool. which had evidently been placed for
her near the head Of the coffin. Santal copied the
attitude of his neighbors and fell or his knees
indeed. the strange solemnity Of the scene was
we'll calculated to inspire feelings OF sorrow ana
reverence to the exclusion OF all ordinary
thoughts and everyday concerns The low chant
ing of the priest only varied at long intervals
by his recitng in louder voice the verslcle sun
the congregation responded in deep murmuI'
"Suscipientes amman ejus.
Santars attention at first engrossed in the
service that was going forward. and in the effort
to distinguish the words of the Latin prayers that
the priest was reciing But after a while the
monOtony wearied him. his thoughts wandered
and he began to observe his surroundings more
accurately He perceived that the forty or hftY
persons present were all men. and all hablted IN
black gowns. and that the priest kneeling at the
| altar wore a black cope with Calvary embroid-
cred in scarlet the back The altar itself was
draped with purple, having on II four Hshted
candles and a silver crucifix in the centre. Be
side the coffin also were lighted wax candles of
taper shape. three on either side, in tall silver
candlesticks: and by the candles stood mutes
gowned in black. whose heads were bowed in an
attitude OF grief and entirely veiled in hoods or
cowls The coffin itself was placed with the ieet
to the east and covered with black pail hor-
dcred with silver. and embroidered with coat
farms. many times repeated.
The figure Of Santal's betrothed. for so he now
regarded her kneeling with her faXen halr ana
white dress against the pail Of the coffin, caught
the light from the candles and shone out curious
" from the surrounding gloom She reminded
him OF kneeling statues OF alaDaster that ne mao
seen on ancient funeral monuments her head
was bent. and she was absorbed In her deVotlonS
Then his eye wandered from the bowed form TO
the pail and he saw that the coat-of-arms EN-
broidered on it a plain shield. crossed by
wavv bars of silver and black alternately. The
tall silver candlesticks which stood at the side or
the coffin flung light sufficiently strong to en-
able him to decipher the motto repeated in Gothic
Characters under each shield. and he found II to
he "Beando BeatiOr." This discovery at once ar
rested his thoughts and brought them back for
moment to the realm of ordinary HE, Tor ne re-
membered that the gold ring that he had bought
at oxford charged with similar arms ana
motto. He took it off his finger and examined to
make sure There We're the same Wavy bars across
the shield and on the inside the same inscription.
"Beando Beatior." which he now recognized as a
motto punning on the name OF BeJant. IN the
manner of heraldc equivOque. He had no doubt
that the ring had IN the past belonged To some
member OF that family; but he had scarcely time
TO reflect the curious coincidence Whlch mao
led to his being present al the obsequles oi MT.
Bejant soon after its purchase, When the
priest brought his prayers TO a close. rose from
his knees and turned around TO face the con
gregatiOn He took a book from the altar ana
began 10 read from ii a Latin eXhortauon. AS
he read Santal had opportunity of studying
his face. and much struck by the beauty OF
his features and 10y the sanctity or ms eX-
preston He was a tall man. in the prime OF
life with clean-shaven face and black hair
which showed no sign Of a tonsure. HIS com
pleXicn was very pale and his thin and enact
ated countenance gave indication Of his having
lived a life Of abstinence and self-denial.
So much impressed Santal by the dignity
OF his appearance that he turned To the man SIT
ling by him on the bench and asked him in a
whisper the priests name. His neighbor was a
little man. past middle age. but wearing wig OF
flowing hair His eyes were bright. and twinkled
heneath bushy and Overhanging eyebrows. He
turned toward Santal. and looked at him with
glance in which surprise was mingled, perhaps.
with suspicion.
II am sorry" he said speaking in a constrained
and deprecatory tone. Il am sorry that J. too, am
a stranger here You see in me put poor sur
geon barber who am come over from Banbury TO
balm Master Bejant. and will return thither as
soon I have made the affidavit that the body
,s nronerlv buried" There was something in his
tone that made Santal say: You need not fear
that | ask from any unworthy motive, beng be-
trothed as am. to this dead eentlemans daugh-
ter"
The little mans manner changed. and he said.
becoming at once more kindly and communlca-
tive: Il did not know. sir. that YOU were one us
or that Won had the honor to he hctrOthcd to
Mistress Cecilia BeJant The priest whose name
YOU ask is the sanity Theodore Brady of the So
cetv Of Jesus. and Nicar-ApOstolic OF His HoH-
ness the Pope. He Is come here from Mr.. Fer
mor's Of ArlastOn, where he has been lying IN
oonnnalrnen thesn three months past You VIII