ment, the signal was the same as before; the note from the harp
string floated down the aisles and when it had been repeated three
times the saintly fingers moved over the strings, and she heard the
beautiful little tune.

Every eye was upon her, and forgetful of the fact that the priest was
celebrating Mass, they said, "Look, she hears the saints singing about
her. She sees Christ coming." The priest heard Biddy cry out "Christ is
coming," and she fell prone and none dared to raise her up, and she lay
there till the Mass was finished. When the priest left the altar she
was still lying at length, and the people were about her; and knowing
how much she would feel the slightest reproof, he did not say a word
that would throw doubt on her statement. He did not like to impugn a
popular belief, but he felt obliged to exercise clerical control.

"Now, Biddy, I know you are a very pious woman, but I cannot allow you
to interrupt the Mass."

"If the Lord comes to me am I not to receive Him, your reverence?"

"In the first place I object to your dress; you are not properly
dressed."

She wore a bright blue cloak, she seemed to wear hardly anything else,
and tresses of dirty hair hung over her shoulders.

"The Lord has not said anything to me about my dress, your reverence,
and He put His gold crown on my head to-day."

"Biddy, is all this true?"

"As true as you're standing there."

"I am not asking you if your visions are true. I have my opinion about
that. I am asking if they are true to you."

"True to me, your reverence? I don't rightly understand."

"I want to know if you think Our Lord put a gold crown on your head
to-day."

"To be sure He did, your reverence."

"If He did, where is it?"

"Where is it, your reverence? It is with Him, to be sure. He wouldn't
be leaving it on my head and me walking about the parish--that would
not be reasonable at all, I am thinking. He doesn't want me to be
robbed."

"There is no one in the parish who would rob you."

"Maybe some one would come out of another parish, if I was walking
about with a gold crown on my head. And such a crown as He put upon
it!--I am sorry you did not see it, but your reverence was saying the
holy Mass at the time."

And she fell on her knees and clung to his cassock.

"And you saw the crown, Biddy?"

"I had it on my head, your reverence."

"And you heard the saints singing?"

"Yes, and I will tell you what they were singing," and she b