It should have been dark within, but instead of
darkness, a soft light pervaded it from end to end, a warm and
delicate radiance, coloured with a rose glory as of sunset--and
Bonpre seeing this stopped, seized with a sudden fear. He looked
about him--on either side the huge unadorned barn-like place was
empty,--he and Manuel stood alone together as it were in the cold
vast void. Before them towered the Cross on its raised platform, and
below that Cross was the sloping footway leading to it, where lay
many of the buds and leaves and blossoms of Sylvie's bridal flowers
given to her by the poor, and yet--in this empty desolate shed there
was a sense of warmth and consolation, and the light that illumined
it was as the light of Heaven! Trembling in every limb, the Cardinal
turned to his companion--words were on his lips, but they faltered
and refused to be spoken aloud. And Manuel gently touching him said-
-
"Follow me!"
Straight up through the centre of this place hallowed by the prayers
of the poor and the broken-hearted, the light child-figure moved,
the old man following,--till at the footway leading to the Cross he
paused.
"Here will we pray together!" he said,--and as he spoke a smile
lighted his eyes and rested on his lips--a smile which gave his fair
face the aspect of a rapt angel of wisdom and beauty.
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