'
The child sank into silence, but presently sat up and said, 'There is
somebody outside.'
'No,' replied the Brother. 'It is only the wolves; I have heard them
moving about in the snow for some time. They are growing very wild,
now that the winter drives them from the mountains. They broke into a
fold last night and carried off many sheep, and if we are not careful
they will devour everything.'
'No, it is the footstep of a man, for it is heavy; but I can hear the
footsteps of the wolves also.'
He had no sooner done speaking than somebody rapped three times, but
with no great loudness.
'I will go and open, for he must be very cold.'
'Do not open, for it may be a man-wolf, and he may devour us all.'
But the boy had already drawn back the heavy wooden bolt, and all the
faces, most of them a little pale, turned towards the slowly-opening
door.
'He has beads and a cross, he cannot be a man-wolf,' said the child,
as a man with the snow heavy on his long, ragged beard, and on the
matted hair, that fell over his shoulders and nearly to his waist,
and dropping from the tattered cloak that but half-covered his
withered brown body, came in and looked from face to face with mild,
ecstatic eyes. Standing some way from the fire, and with eyes that
had rested at last upon the Abbot Malathgeneus, he cried out, 'O
blessed abbot, let me come to the fire and warm myself and dry the
snow from my beard and my hair and my cloak; that I may not die of
the cold of the mountains, and anger the Lord with a wilful
martyrdom.
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