, if need be. Those jewels--I've seen them so often; why, they
would feed an army; but while Cicely or her brat lives where is my claim
to them? So, alas! they must die, but oh! the hag is right. Who shall
give me absolution for a deed I hate? Not for me, not for me, O my
Patron, but for the Church!" and flinging himself to the floor before
the holy image of his chosen Saint, he rested his head upon its feet and
wept.

CHAPTER X

MOTHER MEGGES AND THE GHOST

Flounder Megges, with all the paraphernalia of her trade, was
established as nurse to Cicely at the Nunnery. This establishment, it is
true, had not been easy since Emlyn, who knew something of the woman's
repute, and suspected more, resisted it with all her strength, but here
the Prioress intervened in her gentle way. She herself, she explained,
did not like this person, who looked so odd, drank so much beer and
talked so fast. Yet she had made inquiries and found that she was
extraordinarily skilled in matters of that nature. Indeed, it was said
that she had succeeded in cases that were wonderfully difficult which
the leech had abandoned as hopeless, though of course there had been
other cases where she had not succeeded. But these, she was informed,
were generally those of poor people who did not pay her well. Now in
this instance her pay would be ample, for she, Mother Matilda, had
promised her a splendid fee out of her private store, and for the rest,
since no man doctor might enter there, who else was competent? Not she
or the other nuns, for none of them had been married save old Bridget,
who was silly and had long ago forgotten all such things. Not Emlyn
even, who was but a girl when her own child was born, and since then had
been otherwise employed. Therefore there was no choice.

To this reasoning Emlyn agreed perforce, though she mistrusted her of
the fat wretch, whose appearance poor Cicely also disliked. Still, for
very fear Emlyn was humble and civil to her, for if she were not,
who could know if she would put out all her skill upon behalf of her
mistress? Therefore she did her bidding like a slave, and spiced her
beer and made her bed and even listened to her foul jests and talk
unmurmuringly.

The business was over at length, and the child, a noble boy, born into
the world. Had not the Flounder produced it in triumph laid upon a
little basket covered with a lamb-skin, and had not Emlyn and Mother
Matilda and all the nuns kissed and bles