With a heart full of emotion and gratitude
she watched the crowd break up and disappear, till when the last few
were passing out of the building, she said to her husband--
"Let us leave the flowers they have given me here, Aubrey,--here,
just at the foot of the Cross where you have so often spoken to
them. I shall feel they will bring me a blessing!"
"It shall be as you wish, sweetheart!" he answered tenderly,--"and I
must thank you for having entered so readily into the spirit of this
strange marriage before my poor friends, Sylvie,--for it must have
seemed very strange to you!--and yet believe me,--no more binding
one was ever consummated!" He took her hand and kissed it,--then
turned to Cardinal Bonpre, who had risen and was gazing round the
bare common building with dreamy eyes of wistful wonderment.
"I thank you too, my dear friend! You have learned something of my
work since we came to London, and I think you understand thoroughly
the true sanctity and force of my marriage?"
"I--do!--I do understand it!" said the Cardinal slowly. "And I wish
with all my heart that all marriage vows could be so solemnly and
truly taken! But my heart aches--my heart aches for the world! These
thousands you have helped and taught are but a few,--and they were
as you have told me, little better than heathen when you came
amongst them to tell them the true meaning of Christ's message--what
of the millions more waiting to know what the Church is failing to
teach? What have the priests of the Lord been doing for nearly two
thousand years, that there should still be doubters of God!"
Over his face swept a shadow of deep pain, and at that moment Manuel
left the Cross where he had been leaning and came up and stood
beside him.
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