sy stir of coming reformation was in the air; the pamphlet which is
so often (but wrongly) attributed to Wycliffe, The Last Age of the
Church, had been written some fifteen years before this time: but
Wycliffe himself, though then a political reformer, did not come forward
as a religious reformer until about six years later.

Note 2. Psalm 138 verse 2, Vulgate. The Authorised Version correctly
follows the Hebrew--"Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name."

PART THREE, CHAPTER 5.

WAITING.

"If we could push ajar the gates of life,
And stand within, and all God's workings see,
We could interpret all this doubt and strife,
And for each mystery could find a key.

"But not to-day. Then be content, poor heart!
God's plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold:
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart;
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.

"And if through patient toil we reach the land
Where tired feet with sandals loose may rest,
When we shall clearly see and understand,
I think that we shall say--`God knew the best.'"

When we came out from the chapel after vespers, my Lady commanded Sister
Gaillarde to follow her. The rest of us went, of course, to the
work-room, where Sister Gaillarde joined us in about half an hour. I
saw that she looked as though she had heard something that greatly
amused her, but we could know nothing till we reached the
recreation-room.

The minute our tongues were loosed, Sister Ada attacked Sister Gaillarde
as to what my Lady wanted with her. With one of her grim smiles, Sister
Gaillarde replied--

"My Lady is about to resign her office."

A storm of exclamations greeted the news.

"Why, Sister? Do tell us why."

"She finds," said Sister Gaillarde, gravely, "the burden of her official
duties too heavy."

"I marvel what she reckons them to be!" quoth Sister Joan, who, though
not sarcastic in the style of Sister Gaillarde, can now and then say a
biting thing. "So far as I ever made out, her duties are to sit on
cushions and bid other folks work."

"Exactly: and that is too much labour for her."

"Which of us will be chosen in her stead, I marvel!" said Sister Ada,
briskly. "I trust it may be one who will look better to her house than
the present Lady has done."

"Amen," said Sister Gaillarde, with a mischievous air. "I hope it will
be Sister Joan."

"Truly, I hope not," answered the Sister: "for if any such honour came
my way