forty with tall
distinguished figure and a proud face. His purple robes, richly
jeweled, trail far behind him and on his head he wears his crown.
Everyone leans forward watching with the greatest tension. The_
KING, _exalted with his mood of selfsacrifice kneels, removes his
crown and lays it in the hands of the_ PRIEST. HOLGER _crouching in
the shadow quivers with anticipation. Again the pantomime of hope
and failure. The_ PRIEST _turns back to the_ KING _and raises his
arm in the customary gesture. The_ KING _starts to rise then
suddenly as though overcome at this spiritual defeat sinks again to
his knees before the altar and buries his face in his hands,
praying. The_ PRIEST _stands with arms crossed upon his breast,
regarding him sorrowfully._)

HOLGER. (_Overwhelmed with disappointment, softly to the woman_) Perhaps
there are no chimes, perhaps the Christ hears us not!

WOMAN. Have faith,--have faith in God.

HOLGER. I would that I could give my pennies to the Child.

(_The_ KING _rises from his prayer and goes sadly to the right,
standing near the lady in red._)

WOMAN. (_In a low ringing voice that thrills like the call of a
trumpet_) Go up, my son,--fear not--The Christ-Child waits for all!

(HOLGER _breathless with the adventure rises and goes timidly
forward out of the gloom of the hut into the splendor of the
chancel, looking very small and poorly dressed beside all the great
ones. He holds out his pennies to the_ PRIEST _who bends and takes
them with a tender little smile, and_ HOLGER, _crossing himself, too
abashed to stand and wait, shrinks back into the darkness and the
sheltering arms of the Woman._)

(_The_ PRIEST _goes up the steps of the altar and holds the pennies
high above his head in consecrating gesture, and as he does so, the
organ music breaks off with an amazed suddenness for from above
there comes the far triumphant ringing of the chimes, mingled with
ethereal voices singing The Alleluia._)

(_A wave of awe sweeps over everyone in the chancel and as the_
PRIEST _wheels and gestures them to their knees, they prostrate
themselves quickly._ HOLGER, _too, kneels awe-struck but the woman
rises to her full height and stands watching. From this time on, she
withdraws gradually into the deeper shadows of the hut and is seen
no more._)

(_As they all kneel the