s presence. There was a gentle sobbing somewhere in
the air--was it her own or another's? ... the click of a door; a great
mellow booming over-head, shock after shock, as the huge tenor bells
tolled their three strokes; and, in an instant, over the white faces
passed a ripple, as if some breeze of passion shook the souls within;
there was a swaying here and there; and a passionless voice spoke half a
dozen words in Esperanto, out of sight:

"Englishmen, I assent to the Bill of Worship."

III

It was not until mid-day breakfast on the following morning that husband
and wife met again. Oliver had slept in town and telephoned about eleven
o'clock that he would be home immediately, bringing a guest with him:
and shortly before noon she heard their voices in the hall.

Mr. Francis, who was presently introduced to her, seemed a harmless kind
of man, she thought, not interesting, though he seemed in earnest about
this Bill. It was not until breakfast was nearly over that she
understood who he was.

"Don't go, Mabel," said her husband, as she made a movement to rise.
"You will like to hear about this, I expect. My wife knows all that I
know," he added.

Mr. Francis smiled and bowed.

"I may tell her about you, sir?" said Oliver again.

"Why, certainly."

Then she heard that he had been a Catholic priest a few months before,
and that Mr. Snowford was in consultation with him as to the ceremonies
in the Abbey. She was conscious of a sudden interest as she heard this.

"Oh! do talk," she said. "I want to hear everything."

It seemed that Mr. Francis had seen the new Minister of Public Worship
that morning, and had received a definite commission from him to take
charge of the ceremonies on the first of October. Two dozen of his
colleagues, too, were to be enrolled among the _ceremoniarii_, at least
temporarily--and after the event they were to be sent on a lecturing
tour to organise the national worship throughout the country.

Of course things would be somewhat sloppy at first, said Mr. Francis;
but by the New Year it was hoped that all would be in order, at least in
the cathedrals and principal towns.

"It is important," he said, "that this should be done as soon as
possible. It is very necessary to make a good impression. There are
thousands who have the instinct of worship, without knowing how to
satisfy it."

"That is perfectly true," said Oliver. "I have felt that for a long
time. I suppose it is the dee