Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28
CHAPTER XVIII.
When Love Meets Love.
Rejoiced at evil
Be thou never.
But let good give thee pleasure.


Before the time of the Confessor, the
West Minister was little more than the
monastery chapel. in which the presence
of the parish folk, If not forbidden, was
still In no way encouraged. Today, when
the Lord of Ivarsdale came unnoticed into
the dim light while the last strains of the
vesper service were rising. there were no
more than score of worshipers scattered
through the north aisle-a handful of wo-
men, wives of the abbot's military tenants,
a trader bound for the land beyond the
ford, a couple of yeomen and hollow-eyed
pilgrim, drifting with the current of his
unsteady mind. After a searching glance
around him the Ethelng took up his station
In the shelter of a pillar.
Little danger-or hope-is there that
can miss her, he told himself, IF she Is
indeed here, as the page said. Yet of all
the unlikely places to seek her" He smiled
family the figure in elin green fitted
through his mind AS we'll look for wood
nymph at confession-unless, indeed, Elf
giva had taken her there against her will.
But that was scarcely likely. he remem-
bered Immediately afterward, since an
EngliShwoman who had entered into civil
marriage with a Dane would be little apt
to frequent an English church. Doubt
less she makes of it a meeting place with
her newest lover" he concluded. And the
anger the thought gave him, and sense OF
great that he could not remain quiet under
it, but was tortured into moving restlessly
to and fro in the shadow.
Tender as the cleaning of a summer day
was the shade in the great nave, with the
ever-burnng candles to remind one of the
eternal stars. Now their quivering light
called into life for one brief moment the
golden dove that hung above. the altar;
now it touched with dazzling brightness the
precious service on the holy table itself;
again it was yelled by drifting incense as
by heavens clouds. From the threats of
the hidden choir the last note swelled rich
and full, to roll out over the pillared aisles
in a wave of vibrant sound and pass away
in a sigh of ineffable sweetness under the
rafters
AS he bowed his head in the holy hush
that followed, the hush of souls before
a wordless benedction, some of Sebert's
bitterness gave way to great compass
sion. What were we ALL when all was
told, but wrong-doers and mourners? Why
should one hold anger against another? In
pity for himself and the whole world his
heart ached within him, as a rustiing of
gowns and shutting of feet told that the
worshipers had risen from their knees and
were coming toward him He raised his
bowed head sadly, fearfully.
First came the merchant, Juggling at his
long beard as he advanced-though whether
his p1editations were the leayings of the
mood that had held him or a reaching for
ward into the busy future. none could tell.
Him, Sebert's eye dismissed with a lstless
glance. Behind the trader came the yeo-
men, one of them yawning and stretching
noisly. the other theoretically pulling up
his belt as one tightens the loosened girth
on horse that has had an interval of rest
The young mobiles glance leaped them COM
pletely in its haste to reach those who fol-
lowed-the knot of women, futtering and
rustling and preening like flock of birds.
But the bird he sought was not of their
number. He stared blindiy at the pilgrim
as. the wanderer shuff1ed past, mutterins