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

i-y bull i left the dark '
whither they had retired for an inst.mt, ami quietly dr<
invalid's bed.
The most complete silcnco reigned in tho sad house. A care-
fully shaded lamp shed a Bofteued light in the invalid's room.
The brother and sister, praying nud weeping, knelt by their
r's bed. The priest read hits Breviary in a cjrner by the
p:i!e light, of the lamp. Tho poor servant, telling h; r beads,
The doctor had unfolded
from time to time let a sigh escape.
a paper over which he ran hi eyes confusedly, interrupting
himself every instant to east his eyea on the invalid's bed, anx-
and felt her pulse with visible anxiety.
" " O mother, mother ! cried the brother and sister together,
bathed in tears. "Bless us mother. Lord have mercy on OB I"
At that instant a glance from the doctor arrested the words
on their lips.
But Mad an Tan Duel had heard that cry of filial love,
wrung from such fervent attachment, such bit'er anguish.
She raised her trembling hand over the fair heads of the prostrate
children, and murmured iu a scarcely audible voice:
" O Joseph, O Mary, may God bless you, my dear children !
Farewell, farewell, loved ones, until wo see each other again in
the sojourn of the blessed "
along with your father !
And tie feeble hand, icy and motionless, fell back heavily
and the doctor again clasped it between his fingers.
As to the priest, he fixed a look of sadness, and deep anguish,
first on the livid countenance of the invalid, then on the altered
countenance of the doctor, as if to ascertain by that single
glance what was to be hoped or feared.
Some minutes passed without any abatement of that solemn
expectancy that dreadful anxiety.
The poor weeping children saw nothing, heard nothing more,
aiid scarcely breathed. Rika, prostrate in a corner, cried an it
her heart would break. The cur6 already stretched forth his
hand to give his last benediction to the dying woman ,
when suddenly
the doctor dropped the hand he had until then held in
his, and the two children trembled, moved by a sudden dread.
"
"Dead ! they cried, growing pale.
" "
Saved triumphantly replied the physician in a joyful,
tremulous voice.
Yes, saved indeed by celestial mercy and power. The decisive
crisis had happily ended; the danger had henceforth disappeared;
the patient soon fell into a deep, calm slumber, and
the grateful priest began the Te Deuni of the hour of the
Matins. Along with this hymn of glory and benediction a
tender and ferve:.t prayer, breathed from those beating hnn-tH,
arose to heaven.
Oh !
solemn ! night
Teresa, the old beggar-woman, had gone to the Chapel of
Consolation at day-break, to pray for the restoration of her
worthy benefactress. The brother and sister met her kneeling
piously before the modest altar, and told her the joyful news,
which she immediately went away to communicate to all the
houses round about. Imagine the joy, the delight of the
widow's numerous friends ! Above all, the good Rika's happiness
was indescribable; the poor girl laughed, wept, cried, and,
nvi /./: SACRIFICE,
in a word, seemed to have lost her senses. We will say nothing-
1 the feeliugs of Joseph and Mary ; a happin
plete, so pure, may be imagined 1ml cannot be described.
In all justice we ought to state here that the good doctor,
far from attributing the marvellous cure to his attentioi
tiie resources of his art, hastened to recognize, on the contrary,
that a more powerful hand than Lis could alone have snateln d
from death the much-loved invalid of whose recovery he had
despa-'red from the first moment.
A few weeks passed by, and Madame Van Dael's health prc-
.! rapidly towards a complete restoration. A slight pale-
ious to watch the least changes iu the condition or fealur, s of
the invalid. The night that solemn night was already
advanced. The deep find gloomy silence was only interrupted]
from time to tiir.e., by the sibillant and oppressive breathing,
or the still more ranking cough which made the widow's chest
painfully. But those sorrowful closed eyes had at length
opened, for the doctor quitted liia chair and quietly approached
the bed. He held the invalid's hand firmly clasped in his,
ness, which decreased from day to day, mid an in< \
weakness, that would so n disappear, alone revealed to
tive eyes the suff 'rings she Lad undergone and the deadly
danger she had run.
The good cure, too, continued his visits, for he was in the
habit of often visiting, as pas' or and friend, all the invalids
and weaklings of his dear tlock.
The moment he presented himself one evening at the
widow's quiet dwelling, the two children quitted their moth-
er's room on seeing him enter, and Joseph, passing him by,
in the shadow of the corridor, murmured in his ear:
'
Don't delay any longer, I beg, Monsieur le Doyen time
;
presses I can't wait ; promise me to speak."
The priest, consequently, as soon as he had carefully closed
the door leading to the lobby, replaced against the wall the
chair Mary had prepared for him at his approach, took another,
and established himself quite near Madame Van Dael's
arm-chair.
He had to summon up all his courage to accomplish the
mission the devoted'iess of a good sr>n had confided to him,
and he deemed it more prudent to preface this difficult avowal.
with a few words of paternal solicitude and affectionate sympathy.
" And how are you, to-day, dear Madame ?"
"
Quite well, I thank you, Monsieur le Doyen. My
strength at present is completely restored," replied the widow,
with a joyful look and accent.
" Poor mother!" marmured the priest in an
"
poor mother, how little you foresee, how little
undertone;
you divine,
"
the price tha; marvellous cure is to cost ! you
"
Explain yourself, sir," she cried, deeply moved ; "your
words seem to announce to me O my God ! a new trial, per-
haps a bitter grief."
" Christian mother," resumed the cure in a solemn voice,
" do you know to whom you owe strength and health, cure,
and life ? "
" Assuredly I know it ; it is to the ineffable goodnes
omnipotence of my God."
" Undoubtedly. And I may justly add that this great
celestial mercy lias been granted to you in consideration of the
prayers and merits of your children. It is to their til.al love,
above all, you owe this happiness and this grace."
" Oh ! I have no doubt of it, father. How I thank God,
who, in giving me such children, has given me happiness and
glory."
"
Yes, you are justly proud of them ; you ought to be happy
too; and yet, I repeat at this moment: Poor mother ! poolmother!
a cruel wound is soon to pierce your heart.
don't understand me ; you can't understand me. Alas ! know
what a glorious day was that which followed that
The rays of a charming summer sun glittered
in a clear sky; the glad birds hopped ai:d chirped in the shade
of green branches, the young flowers expanded their cups to
the golden light of the dawning day. Oh ! how radiant, and
charming that calm nature, the good God's beautiful earta
deemed to the widow's children !
They had taken no repose during the remainder of that
night. Should they not, before anything, go to thank their
divine Mother, their august Queen, our Lady of Consolation ?
you to what a degree those dear children love you ? Listen to
me, and pray with me to the Lord, who in His goodness will
give you strength. Your son, your beloved Joseph, has offered
himself to the God of mercy and love, in hope of obtaining
your cure, your health, your life. The day you were in
the greatest danger your noble child made a vow opposite the
altar of the Chapel of Consolation to take service in the ranks
of the Pontifical Zouaves if the Lord deigned to restore you to
health. I should add, dear madaniej that ho first consulted
me, and I only authorized him to contract that vow on this
condition, that you should give his generous project your full
and entire approbation."
At this sudden declaration, this terrible disclosure, the poor