The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
LILY.
THE cRoss UNDER THE APRON.

AHEa III Nih II" NJ N'Na
The face OF Giles de Laval. Lord Of Retz,
had shone qll:day with an, unholy lustre like
that Of iron in. which the red heat yet struggles
his reimbursement about wearing expressions
upon their countenances IN which DISGUST and
Ing fear Of the terrible baron. ="
The usual signs of approaching high satur-
MALTA at ,Machecoul had not been wanting;
seen lowering. like an u%nclean bird OF prey
about the PLAYING grounds Of the village chii-
Al the frightened villagers heard the howl OF
a day huntinR wolf. and one Louis Nerger. a
woodman who was cutting bark for tanneries
and seize his little son. Jean. a boy. Of 5 years
old. who anne bringing his fathers breakfast.
village. but when men gathered. with scythes
frf Ti1t, Sa i. lSSt 1 y sss a 81 6 & t6f fS %ss never
seen again. unless It were he who, half hidden
under the long black cloak Of La Mef-
tern Of the baron into the castle OF Mnchecoul.
., So the n%,E men EN-. Of ahS s.; B Iogs}bo went ei mot not back sn to
len anger burning in their hearts. And one
calling himself the servant of the Bishop of
Nantes went about among them. and his words
we're rs knives, sharp and bitter beyond belief.
about, till they faced Machecoul. Their lips
moved like those OF a Moslepite who says his
prayers toward Mecca. And the words they
uttered were indeed prayers OF the
With. his usual devotion at such seasons
GILES de Retz had attended service thrice that
day in his chapel of the Holy Innocents. His
ness. An excessive tenderness Of conscience
had marked, his confessions to Pere ,Blouyn.
fessed as his most f%aSrant sin that his thoughts
oftentimes. we're overmuch set on the vdnities
of the world, and that he had even sometimes
been tempted OF the devil to question the right
OF Holy Church herself to settle all questions
according to the will of her priests and pre-
Whereupon Pore Blouyn. with sauve cor
rectness OF Judgment. had pointed out where
in he erred, but also cautioned him against
that undue tenderness OF conscience natural
t9 one with his sNPIted %g2sition and high
In the late afternoon the Lord Of Retz com
manded, the, fire to be laid, ready for lighting
and hi set S himssif down h5Vln tn to list Kef to I'll the M siGeinG Of
the choir. which. under the guidance Of Pre-
centor Renouf rehearsed for him the sweetest
Of the Holy Father at Rome. For there.the Mar
shal's chOirmaster had been trained and with
its leader he still kept up a correspondence.
blooming roses in the afternoon sunshine of
the autumn of western France, appeared TO
and the most enlightened in the. world; He
affected a costume already semi-ecclesiastic
holy orders. It seemed already as II the great
soldier whc had ridden into Orleans with Du-
nois and the Maid, had begun to lay aside his
earthly glories and seek the heavenly;
There. upon a chair placed within the clois.
ters. in a place which the sunshine touched
most lovingly and where it fingered longest.
he sat. nodding his head to the sound of the
sweet singing and lowing low at each men
ton of the name Of Jesus las the custom Isl. a
still, meditatiye. almost sanity man. Upon
the lap of his furred robe tfor after all 1t was n
s 81 Is1 me NTH NTH inc certain dnn sh re fTa T TnIt Gnsns, in
And sometimes as he listened TO the choir
boys. singing he glanced therein and read Of
dom He lifted the book also and looked with
pleasure at the pictured chcrubS who chcered
the way Of the Master Je~rusalemward with
strewn palm leaves and shouted hosqnnas.
And ever sweeter and sweeter fell the music
upon his ear. till suddenly. like the. silence
after a .thunderclan. the ~orga9Sensed to roll.
the choir was silent and out of3he quiet rose
u single voice-that Of Laurencafhe Scot. sing
Of blessing:
Suffer little children TO come unto Me.
And forbid them not,
For OF such is the kingdom of heaven.
And as the boys clear voice welled out.
clear and thrilling. as the song Of an upward
pulsinG lark. the tears ran down the face Of
GILES de RetZ.
God knows why-perhaps it was some CLINT
Of his own innocent c~htldhood. some halt
dimmed memory OF his happily dead mother.
vent up the turret stair to ind P@itou. and
GILES de. Sille on guard on either side OF the
portal which closed his chamber,
were s%carcelv dry on his cheeks.
They bowed before him to the ground.
AN is ready. lord and master" they said as
And Prelati?'
He is in waiting"
nrrived?" III,
la Mefrrave has arrived they said. IAN
">"Good!" said GILES de, Reta. and shedding
his furred monkish cloak carelessly from Off
his shoulders he went within.
Potion and GILES de Sille both reached to
catch the mantle ere it fell AS they did so
their hands met and touched. And at the
and drew apart. Their eyes met and were in
stantlv withdrawn. Then having hung up
the cloak with pallld countenances and lips
white and drawn they slowly FOLLOWED the
Marshal within.
TO be continual