Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

Peuwarne was smiling.
nl how many Sacraments have I had?" asked the
Colonel.
liajuism. Penance, Holy F,uohnri;t, Confirmation, and
Matrimony," said Peter, as fast as he could tpe^k and Ihe
;
Colonel smiled n-'iiiu.
"
Ai:d what Sacrament is that which I shall never have ?"
"(>, id Peter.
" Tell me so ething about '
Order?.' "
"By that Sacrament priests nro made."
"And what can priests do -which I can't do ?'
"They say Mas* and give absolution."
" And what is Mass?" as';ed Colonel Penwarne.
It seemed to Peter at that momont as a very solemn question.
He Lad often bi en asked tuis question in the catechism, and
answered it very often also. Ho had answered it with a heart
full of holy fear, and with knowledge and thankfulness, in
many places, many times at home, at school, and in church ;
but now, as he stood under the spreading b ue of the summer
sky, at the top of the rocky luue leading down to the vil age,
and on to the sea now, as he gazed up at Co'onel Penwnrue's
face as he sat his horse to well, and looked so grand and yet so
kind now, Peter felt th: t the great truth he was to utter would
ni'M i- come more solemnly from his lips than at that moment.
' ' He said, The Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the Body
and Blood of Christ."
Colonel Penwarne took his hat from his head, and Peter uncovered
his head
"
also. Tell me more,"said the Colonel; and
Peter went on readily.
" Th Blessed Eucharist is the true Body and Blood ,of
Christ, under the appearances of brea t and wine. The change
is made when the words of consecration ordained by Jesus
Christ are pronounced by the priest in tlie Mass. Thus our
Lord gives Himself to us in th.s Sacrament."
" And when were you last present at this?"
"This very morning, Colone', when you and Mrs. Penwarne
weve at Holy Communion together, when I served Mass, and
said the C'onfitcor for our Communion.
"
Peter," said this brave good soldier, with a sweet smile,
and putting his hat on his
"
heud, take this." He dropped a
rosary, with a silver crucifix attached to it, into Peter's hand,
' ' Think < f us some time when you say us. Pray for us now,
and at the hour of our death. Keep holy. Lead an industrious,
prudent life. Do good to souls when you can, lor the
love of our Lord. Do a little labor for His dear sake. Now,
was happening Some seized the horse ; others ran up the
hilly road. They saw Peter, who had pulled < ff his jacket to
roll up for a pillow and piuce under Colonel Penwarne's head,
and when Peter saw them he beckoned anxiously for them to
come yet more speedily.
When the first got to him he was a sailor called Boper
Peter said,
" He has spoken twice. He said,
' The priest,' and then
' Home.' I'll run now. O Eoper !" And then Peter burst
into an agony
of tears.
" Ah, yes ; you've lost your best friend. Here, stay here ;
I'll run for Father Joseph."
" others are coming. Some, Ihope, have
"
1Ly
t;n :k b ; a shutter ; and
ns they fell ill v. i h ila to help them, tli
;
qu '-klya )
" He is dead !" > aid a gray-ha red old man.
spolieu. He gave one sLlIh.jj sin .
death."
By
this time the doctor had arrived.
ai;d
" H
And then a sad ) roccssion was f< rmed, and they w !
th..t \\:is
tip the hill i:it> the wood, and among the flowera and shruui
that made tl.e ornamental ground iirou d Penwarue. .
They stopped under the shadow of a group
1
'
ot chestnuts.
The doctor had gone on and entered the house. Servants came
out running towards them ; and then once more the villagers
went forward with the solemn burden of a good man's corpse.
CHAPTER II.
Peter followed the benrere of Colonel Penwarne's body np
to his house. He had often been there before. But now there
seemed to be an almost awful sadness about it.
Kound the door and on each side of it there was a sorrowing
assemblage of servants, and com ug forth :rom the porch was
seen an ilderly lady, with quick, short, trembling steps, and
by her side a girl, about twenty yea s of age, and ns they met
the body the bearers stopped, and they both dropped weeping
on their knees.
Peter knew them. They were Mrs. Penwnrne and her
Lady Edith May ; for Mrs. P. nwarne's sister h v.nsf in ;rried
Lord Greening and died, h< r only daughter, Lady Edith, was
living at Penwarne during the time of her father's absence in
the East Indies.
Peter did not wait to see any more. He went awny noiselessly
and got into the entrance-drive ; then across the farm-
land, where the unconscious cattle were s and ng knee -deep iu
the great pool, round by the group of elms that cast a dark
shadow on the quiet water, and on to a stile, on the other side
of which was the public road. Peter s it on the top bar of the
stile, and there, sheltered from the sun by the branches of a
huge holly-tree, he gave way to his grief; covering his face
with his hands, ho sobbed and wept as if his heart were
broken.
But he had not come to the stile without a motive. HP knew
how do you get on with Mr. Breward ?"
"
Pretty well, I hope."
" He has just been speaking well of you. He says you
have a wise head for your age, and a skilled hand. He will
rttyouon, Peter, if he can. Good-day good-bye."
And Colonel Peuwarne rode on.
But he did not move twenty yards from the spot where
Peter stood watching him. The horse fell as if shot, and lay
.'or a moment like a dead thing. He rose, but Peter wa -by
Col nel Penwarne's siue as he lay with Lis head against a heap
of stones. The horse rushed violently to the loot of the hill.
People in the nearest cottage heard the sound of the that the priest would pass that way
runaway
creature, and came in alarm and astouishm nt to see what
on his return to the vi.lage,
and he waited to ask him to go straight to Peuwarue.
Soon a man came up the road.
" Have you seen Father Joseph ?" asked Peter.
" No. He went to Stonemoor this monnn '."
"I know that. I am waiting to see him pass. But I
thought that, if he had passed already, you would have met
him."
"True. But I have not met him. However, you may have
to sit there half the day. What's the matter ?"
"
Mrs.Penwarno wants Father Joseph, "said Peter. He c uld
not bring hia courage up to the point required to speak of Col-
onel Penwarne's death to a stranger.
Then the man went on his way; and when Peter saw i:
was alone he jumped down iroin the stiie, and on his
began the prayers for the d ad.
Father Joseph came soon after this, and to him Peter c uld
speak, and tell all that had happened. He t* Id i'
and Father Joseph listened. ,
"Can you take 7iiy pony he me, Peter? I will go to Penwarne
across the fields."
So Peter mounted the stout pony and Father Jo eph got
over the stile and was quickly out of sight. He had hardly
said a word to Peter, and yet his lips had been moving, a >
boy had heard his v
And now Peter was alon. road
slowly, which was just :
wh;:t tin:
to
like.