Evening star., 1905-11-02

price as your consciences will suffer you to
oner; for am not a chapman nor a huck-
ster. and l would never part with them, did
l not know that 1 am very near to my re-
ward"
"Aylward" said Alleyne. excitedly. this
Is such a chance as few folk have twice in
one life. The nail must have, and 1 will
give 1t to the Abbey Of Beaulieu, so that
all the folk in England may go thither to
wonder and to pray
And will have the stone from the tenn
ple," cried Hurdle John. What would not
my old mother give to have it hung over
her bed?'
"And 1 will have Aaron's rod" quoth
Aylward. Il have but five florins in the
world. and here are four of them"
Here are three more" said John.
and here are five more" added Alleyne
Holy father, I hand you twelve FORMS
well know how poor pay 1t is for the
We Edrous things which you sell us
Down, pride. down. cried the pilgrim,
stsll beating upon his chest Can l not
bend myself, then to take this sorry sum
which is offered me for that which has cost
me the labors of life? Give me the dross,
Here are the precious relics, and, oh, L
pay you that you will handle them softly
and with reverence. else had | rather left
my unworthy bones here by the waysde
With doffed caps and eager hands, the
comrades took their new and precious pos
sessions, and pressed onward upon their
ed under the cherry tree. They rode in
silence, each with his treasure In his hand,
glancing at it from time to time, and
scarce able to believe that chance had
made them sole owners of relics of such
holiness and worth that every abbey and
church in Christendom would have bid
eagerly for their possession. So they jour
neyed full of this good fortune, until
opposite the town of LIE Mas where Johns
horse cast a shoe, and they were glad to
find a way-side smith who might set the
matter to rights. To him Aylward narrated
the good hap which had befallen them;
but the smith, when his eyes lighted upon
the relics, leaned up against his anvil and
laughed with his hand to his side. until
the tears hoped down his sooty cheeks.
why, masters, quoth he, this man is
a coquillart, seller of false relics, and
was here in this smithy not two hours ago.
The nail that he hath sold you was taken
from my nail-box. and as to the wood and
the stones, you will see heap of both
outside from which he hath filled his
scrip"
Nay nay" cried Alleyne, this was a
holy man who had journeyed to Jerusalem,
and acquired a dropsy by running from
the house of PLATE to the Mount of Olives"
II know not about that" said the smith;
''but l know that a man with a gray pail
mers hat and gown was here no very long
time ago, and that he sat on yonder stump
and eat cold pullet and drank a flask of
wine. Then he begged from me one of my
nails, and filling his scrip with stones, he
went upon his way. Look at these nails
and see If they not the same as that
which he sold you.'
Now my God save us!'' cried Alleyne,
all aghast. "Is there no end, then, to the
wIckedness of human kind? He so humble,
so aged so loath to take our money-and
yet villain and cheat. Whom can we
trust or believe nj"
Il will after him." said Aylward, finging
himself into the saddle. Come Alleyne.
we may catch him ere Johns horse be
she'd
Away they galloped together, and ere
long they saw the old gray palmer walk
ing slowly along in front of them He
turned however, at the sound of their
hoofs, and 1t was clear that his blindness