The Woman and the Priest

codemus was being discussed. Having hastily deposited the silver amphora and other things taken out for the rite and doffed his red cope, Antiochus had run off to collect news.

came down and carried him off themsel

, "but the eagle is no joke. I remember that when I w

o die. The last upflickering of his fever lent him a fictitious strength and the dying hunter walked like a somnambulist to the place wher

eat," said the p

ocent child, that the other two, having exhausted the subject of the old hunter, were afraid of being alone together. The mother would see her son's uneasy wandering eyes arrested suddenly, as though upon some unseen object, with a stony, sombre

es upon the ridge; the room was flooded with sunshine chequered by the dancing of the leaves outside the w

she held fast a little girl, with small, livid face and a red scarf tied over her untidy black hair; and, as the child dragged and struggled from side to side in her efforts to free he

e priest with such matters, and moreover the girl, who was twisting herself all to one side and t

then Antiochus let her in immediately and even helped her to push in the

m had behaved so strangely, always trying to escape, deaf and dumb to all persuasions, the pries

much in the su

she is possessed by an evil spirit. No," she add

r it. The book was placed open on the table, and with his hand upon the burning he

certain man which had devils a long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus he cried out and

o do with thee," he saw the hand tremble, and looking up quickly he perceived that Paul's eyes were full of tears. Then, overcome by an irre

o raise his eyes again to look at Paul, but with his free hand he pulled the little girl's skirt to keep her quiet

priest's face. Gradually her expression changed, her mouth relaxed and opened, and it seemed as if the words of the Gospel, the murmuring of the wind and the rustle of the trees on the ridge were working upon her as a charm

he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to t

wonderingly towards the boy, and in the silence that succeeded the Gospel words nothing was audib

within himself, and this one would not be driven forth. And yet there had been a moment when he had felt nearer to God: "What have I to do with thee?" And it seemed to him that those three believers in front of him, and his own mother kneel

n she raised her head that the two children began t

et up now," he said,

ch now somebody else was knocking. It was the keeper with his dog on t

He has driven out the devils

in miracles; he stood a littl

ake room for t

o the body of your d

in jest, but maintained his usual gravity. On the threshold of the room he drew h

to you in p

ment upstairs. When he came down, although still full of excitement

s." (The dog, in fact, was standing motionless, with lowered eyes and hanging tail.) "I've come about the matter of old Nicodemus Pania, nickna

filled with childish joy at the thought of going up to the mountain plateau an

ly, "and I shall want a ho

e and the road," said the

priest's religious functions were so much each a part of the other that he accepted the invitation; so he drank, and emptied the last drops of wine on the ground (since the earth clai

waiting in vain for the priest in the little room behind the bar, which had been specially cleaned up for the occasion and the

imitating the keeper's solemn ton

horseback and you need not come at all.

h a little box in his hand and his red cope folded over his arm. As far as he was concerne

made of the square their regular playground and battlefield gathered round him curiousl

nearer,"

'll let loose the keeper's do

daren't go within ten miles

Antiochus with m

're as good as the Lord himself bec

h, "I should make off with that box and perfo

il that came out of Nina Masia'

devil?" cried th

ery afternoon he drove out a devil from

cene which recalled that which had taken place on the first arrival of the priest. The whole population assembled together in the square and Nina Masia was placed by her mother on the top step before the ch

but whilst he waved his hand to them and turned from side to side acknowledging their greetings, his annoyance at what had happened was even greater than his distress. When he reached the top of the hill he reined in his horse and seemed about to spe

descended the hill soberly, fully conscious of their office, and presently Paul drew rein and rode along quietly. After crossing the river the road became a mere path and wound upwards towards the plateau, bordered by stones and low

rld seemed nothing but wind and stones, and white vapours that on the horizon linked earth and sky in one. Fro

ever forgot his own imaginary importance for one moment. Every now and then he would stop, with a portentous frown, and drawing the peak of his cap low over his eyes he would inspect the landscape on every side, as though the whole world belonged to him and were threatened with some imminent p

ion. Antiochus recognized the place, as he had once been there with his father, and whilst the priest kept to the path, which wound some considerable

to complete this sort of prehistoric fortress, had piled other stones in large numbers. The sun slanted down into this enclosure as into a well: the

s grandson thrust his curly b

ing," announc

are c

st and th

own goats, and swore roundly at the keeper for

ngly, but when he saw the dog he drew back, while the ol

, framed in the white hair and beard, already set in the composure of approaching death. The priest was bending down to interrogate him, but the dying man made no reply, and lay with closed eyes and a drop of blood trembling on his violet lips. A little way off, on another stone, sat the keeper with his dog stretched at his feet and his eye

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