Part 33 (1/2)

”Father,” said John, ”one of our lay brothers has a little sister in the world and she has fallen into trouble. She has gone from the place where he left her, and G.o.d only knows where she is now! Let him go out and find her.”

”Who is it, my son?”

”Brother Paul--and she is all he has, and he can not help but think of her.”

”This is a temptation of the evil one, my son. Brother Paul has newly taken the vows and so have you. The vows are a challenge to the powers of evil, and it is only to be expected that he who takes them will be tested to the uttermost.”

”But, Father, she is young and thoughtless. Let him go out and find her and save her, and he will come back and praise G.o.d a thousand times the more.”

”The temptations of Satan are very subtle; they come in the guise of duty. Satan is tempting our brother through love, and you, also, through pity. Let us turn our backs on him.”

”Then it is impossible?”

”Quite impossible.”

When John returned to the door Brother Paul was standing by the alcove gazing with wet eyes on the text hanging above the bed. He saw his answer in John's face, and they sat down on the form without speaking.

The bell rang for service and the religious began to pa.s.s through the hall. As the Father was crossing the threshold Brother Paul flung himself down at his feet and clutched his ca.s.sock and made a frantic appeal for pity.

”Father, have pity upon me and let me go!”

The Father's eyes became moist but his will remained unshaken. ”As a man I ought to have pity,” he said, ”and as the Father of all of you I should be kind to my children; but it is not I who refuse you, it is G.o.d, and I should be guilty of a sin if I let you go.”

Then Paul burst into mad laughter and the religious gathered round and looked at him in astonishment. There was foam on his lips and fire in his eyes, and he threw up his hands and fell back fainting.

The Father made the sign of the cross on his breast and his lips moved in silence for a moment. Then he said to John, who had raised the lay brother in his arms:

”Leave him there. Damp his forehead and hold his hands.”

And turning to the religious he added: ”I ask the prayers of the community for our poor brother. Satan is fighting for his soul. Let us wrestle in prayer that we may expel the spirit that possesses him.”

At the next moment John was alone with the unconscious man, except for the dog which was licking his forehead. And looking after the Superior, he told himself that such unlimited power over the body and soul of another the Almighty could have meant for no man. The love of G.o.d and the fear of the devil had swallowed up the love of man and stifled all human affections. Such religion must have hardened the best man ever born. As for the poor broken creature lying there so still, his vows had been made to heaven, and to heaven alone his obedience was due. The nature within him had spoken too loudly, but there were laws of Nature which it was a sin to resist. Then why should he resist them? The cry of blood was the voice of G.o.d, or G.o.d had no voice and He could speak to no man. Then, why should he not listen?

Brother Paul recovered consciousness and raised his head. The waves of memory flowed back upon him and his eyes flamed and his lips trembled.

”I will go if I have to break my vows!” he said.

”No need for that,” said John.

”Why so?”

”Because I will let you out at night and let you in again in the morning.”

”You?”

”Yes, I. Listen!”

And then these two crushed and fettered souls, bound by no iron bonds, confined by no bolts and bars, but only under the shadow of the supernatural, sat together like prisoners in a dungeon concocting schemes for their escape.