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Thou

shalt

pray

here

;

thou

shalt

study

the

Book

;

thou

shalt

meditate

upon

the

follies

and

delusions

of

this

world

,

and

upon

the

sublimities

of

the

world

to

come

;

thou

shalt

feed

upon

crusts

and

herbs

,

and

scourge

thy

body

with

whips

,

daily

,

to

the

purifying

of

thy

soul

.

Thou

shalt

wear

a

hair

shirt

next

thy

skin

;

thou

shalt

drink

water

only

;

and

thou

shalt

be

at

peace

;

yes

,

wholly

at

peace

;

for

whoso

comes

to

seek

thee

shall

go

his

way

again

,

baffled

;

he

shall

not

find

thee

,

he

shall

not

molest

thee

.

"

The

old

man

,

still

pacing

back

and

forth

,

ceased

to

speak

aloud

,

and

began

to

mutter

.

The

King

seized

this

opportunity

to

state

his

case

;

and

he

did

it

with

an

eloquence

inspired

by

uneasiness

and

apprehension

.

But

the

hermit

went

on

muttering

,

and

gave

no

heed

.

And

still

muttering

,

he

approached

the

King

and

said

impressively

--

"

'

Sh

!

I

will

tell

you

a

secret

!

"

He

bent

down

to

impart

it

,

but

checked

himself

,

and

assumed

a

listening

attitude

.

After

a

moment

or

two

he

went

on

tiptoe

to

the

window-opening

,

put

his

head

out

,

and

peered

around

in

the

gloaming

,

then

came

tiptoeing

back

again

,

put

his

face

close

down

to

the

King

's

,

and

whispered

--

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"

I

am

an

archangel

!

"

The

King

started

violently

,

and

said

to

himself

,

"

Would

God

I

were

with

the

outlaws

again

;

for

lo

,

now

am

I

the

prisoner

of

a

madman

!

"

His

apprehensions

were

heightened

,

and

they

showed

plainly

in

his

face

.

In

a

low

excited

voice

the

hermit

continued

--

"

I

see

you

feel

my

atmosphere

!

There

's

awe

in

your

face

!

None

may

be

in

this

atmosphere

and

not

be

thus

affected

;

for

it

is

the

very

atmosphere

of

heaven

.

I

go

thither

and

return

,

in

the

twinkling

of

an

eye

.

I

was

made

an

archangel

on

this

very

spot

,

it

is

five

years

ago

,

by

angels

sent

from

heaven

to

confer

that

awful

dignity

.

Their

presence

filled

this

place

with

an

intolerable

brightness

.

And

they

knelt

to

me

,

King

!

yes

,

they

knelt

to

me

!

for

I

was

greater

than

they

.

I

have

walked

in

the

courts

of

heaven

,

and

held

speech

with

the

patriarchs

.

Touch

my

hand

--

be

not

afraid

--

touch

it

.

There

--

now

thou

hast

touched

a

hand

which

has

been

clasped

by

Abraham

and

Isaac

and

Jacob

!

For

I

have

walked

in

the

golden

courts

;

I

have

seen

the

Deity

face

to

face

!

"

He

paused

,

to

give

this

speech

effect

;

then

his

face

suddenly

changed

,

and

he

started

to

his

feet

again

saying

,

with

angry

energy

,

"

Yes

,

I

am

an

archangel

;

a

mere

archangel

!

--

I

that

might

have

been

pope

!

It

is

verily

true

.

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I

was

told

it

from

heaven

in

a

dream

,

twenty

years

ago

;

ah

,

yes

,

I

was

to

be

pope

!

--

and

I

should

have

been

pope

,

for

Heaven

had

said

it

--

but

the

King

dissolved

my

religious

house

,

and

I

,

poor

obscure

unfriended

monk

,

was

cast

homeless

upon

the

world

,

robbed

of

my

mighty

destiny

!

"

Here

he

began

to

mumble

again

,

and

beat

his

forehead

in

futile

rage

,

with

his

fist

;

now

and

then

articulating

a

venomous

curse

,

and

now

and

then

a

pathetic

"

Wherefore

I

am

nought

but

an

archangel

--

I

that

should

have

been

pope

!

"

So

he

went

on

,

for

an

hour

,

whilst

the

poor

little

King

sat

and

suffered

.

Then

all

at

once

the

old

man

's

frenzy

departed

,

and

he

became

all

gentleness

.

His

voice

softened

,

he

came

down

out

of

his

clouds

,

and

fell

to

prattling

along

so

simply

and

so

humanly

,

that

he

soon

won

the

King

's

heart

completely

.

The

old

devotee

moved

the

boy

nearer

to

the

fire

and

made

him

comfortable

;

doctored

his

small

bruises

and

abrasions

with

a

deft

and

tender

hand

;

and

then

set

about

preparing

and

cooking

a

supper

--

chatting

pleasantly

all

the

time

,

and

occasionally

stroking

the

lad

's

cheek

or

patting

his

head

,

in

such

a

gently

caressing

way

that

in

a

little

while

all

the

fear

and

repulsion

inspired

by

the

archangel

were

changed

to

reverence

and

affection

for

the

man

.

This

happy

state

of

things

continued

while

the

two

ate

the

supper

;

then

,

after

a

prayer

before

the

shrine

,

the

hermit

put

the

boy

to

bed

,

in

a

small

adjoining

room

,

tucking

him

in

as

snugly

and

lovingly

as

a

mother

might

;

and

so

,

with

a

parting

caress

,

left

him

and

sat

down

by

the

fire

,

and

began

to

poke

the

brands

about

in

an

absent

and

aimless

way

.

Presently

he

paused

;

then

tapped

his

forehead

several

times

with

his

fingers

,

as

if

trying

to

recall

some

thought

which

had

escaped

from

his

mind

.

Apparently

he

was

unsuccessful

.

Now

he

started

quickly

up

,

and

entered

his

guest

's

room

,

and

said

--

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