Delia Calmour rose from her knees and joined the increased numbers of
those who were following. What had moved her she could not for the life
of her have told, but she had found herself bowing down in reverence as
low as those around her as the Sacred Host was borne past. Now she
followed with the rest. She could not get into the chapel, but in this
she fared no worse than nine-tenths of those in whose midst she was.
But through the open doors she could distinguish the starry glitter of
many lights on or about the high altar, as, in a dead hush, between
thunderous waves of organ and chant, the final Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament was given.
The throng outside began to break up and those from within to come out.
The convent children were marshalled forth, two by two, in charge of
their attendant nuns, and still Delia lingered. She longed for an
opportunity of having a little talk with Wagram, if it were only for a
few minutes. She went into the chapel, thick and fragrant with incense.
Two acolytes were extinguishing the numerous candles, and her pulse
quickened as she saw Wagram, now divested of his cassock and cotta,
standing by the sacristy door, pointing out the architectural and
ornamental beauties of the interior to a couple of priests, presumably
strangers. It was of no use, she decided, and, going outside, she
wandered up the decorated avenue again. But before she had gone far she
stopped short, striving to curb the thrill of her pulses, to repress the
tell-tale rush of colour to her cheeks. A step behind her--and a voice.
That was all.
"How do you do, Miss Calmour? How quickly you walk. So you have found
your way over to our solemnity?"
Delia turned at the voice. As they clasped hands she was conscious of
an utterly unwonted trepidation. She had just given up all hope of
speaking with him. He would be too busy with other things and people to
trouble to find her out, even if he had remembered noticing her among
the attendance at all, she argued.
"Yes; but I had to screw up my courage very considerably to do so," she
returned, flashing up at him a very winning smile. "You see, I had
heard that anybody might come."
"Of course. But what were you afraid of? That you would be spirited
away and privately burnt at the stake? Or only thumb-screwed?"
"No, no--of course not. Don't chaff me, Mr Wagram; it's unkind. You
ought rather to pity my ignorance. Do you often have a ceremony like
that?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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