he list, and cover him with Christ's
righteousness?" slily responded the Countess, with that instant recourse
to the Antinomianism inherent in fallen man.

"`If man say he knoweth Him, and keepeth not His commandments, he is a
liar,'" quoted the Archbishop in reply. "`He that saith he abideth in
Him, ought to walk as He walked.' Man cannot abide in Christ, and
commit sin, for He hath no sin. You left unanswered my question, Lady:
what has been your god?"

"I have paid due worship to God and the Church," was the rather stubborn
answer. "Pass on, I pray you. I worshipped no false god; I took not
God's name in vain no more than other folks; I always heard mass of a
Sunday and festival day; I never murdered nor stole; and as to telling
false witness, beshrew me if it were false witness to tell Avena
Foljambe she is a born fool, the which I have done many a time in the
day. Come now, let me off gently, Father. There are scores of worser
women in this world than me."

"God will not judge you, Lady, for the sins of other women; neither will
He let you go free for the goodness of other. There is but One other
for whose sake you shall be suffered to go free, and that only if you be
one with Him in such wise that your deeds and His be reckoned as one,
like as the debts of a wife be reckoned to her husband, and his honours
be shared by her. Are you thus one with Jesu Christ our Lord?"

"In good sooth, I know not what you mean. I am in the Church: what more
lack I? The Church must see to it that I come safe, so long as I shrive
me and keep me clear of mortal sin: and little chance of mortal sin have
I, cooped up in this cage."

"Daughter, the Church is every righteous man that is joined with Christ.
If you wist not what I mean, can you be thus joined? Could a woman be
wedded to a man, and not know it? Could two knights enter into
covenant, to live and die each with other, and be all unsure whether
they had so done or no? It were far more impossible than this, that you
should be a member of Christ's body, and not know what it meaneth so to
be."

"But I am in Holy Church!" urged the Countess, uneasily.

"I fear not so, my daughter."

"Father, you be marvellous different from all other priests that ever
spake to me. With all other, I have shrived me and been absolved, and
there ended the matter. I had sins to confess, be sure; and they looked
I should so have, and no more. But you--would you have me perfect