y away from it. Come out of this room. You
have opened a grave here."

VI.

The Mending.

But Antonia delayed to set in order her hair and cap and all her
methodical habits of life. When Jonas Bronck's hand was snugly locked in
its case and no longer obliged her to look at it, she took a pensive
pleasure in the relic, bred of usage to its company. She came out of her
chamber erect and calm. Marie was at the stairs speaking to the soldier
stationed in the hall below. He had just piled up his fire, and its
homely splendor sent back to remoteness all human dreads. He hurried up
the stairway to his lady.

"Go knock at the door of the priest, Father Jogues, and demand his
cassock," she said.

The man halted, and asked,--

"What shall I do with it?"

"Bring it hither to me."

"But if he refuses to have it brought?"

"The good man will not refuse. Yet if he asks why," said Madame La Tour
smiling, "tell him it is the custom of the house to take away at night
the cassock of any priest who stays here."

"Yes, madame."

The soldier kept to himself his opinion of meddling with black gowns,
and after some parleying at the door of Father Jogues' apartment,
received the garment and brought it to his lady.

"We will take our needles, and sit by the hall fire," said Marie to
Antonia. "Did you note the raggedness of Father Jogues' cassock? I am an
enemy to papists, especially D'Aulnay de Charnisay; but who can harden
her heart against a saint because he patters prayers on a rosary? Thou
and I will mend his black gown. I cannot see even a transient member of
my household uncomfortable."

The soldier put two waxlights on the table by the hearth, and withdrew
to the stairway. He was there to guard as prisoner the priest for whom
his lady set herself to work. She drew her chair to Antonia's and they
spread the cassock between them. It had been neatly beaten and picked
clear of burrs, but the rents in it were astonishing. Even within
sumptuous fireshine the black cloth taxed sight; and Marie paused
sometimes to curtain her eyes with her hand, but Antonia worked on with
Dutch steadiness. The touch of a needle within a woman's fingers cools
all her fevers. She stitches herself fast to the race. There is safety
and saneness in needlework.

"This spot wants a patch," said Antonia.

"Weave it together with stitches," said Marie. "Daughter of presumption!
would you add to the gown of a Roman priest?"

"Priest or domin