the poor clare-第12节

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er　hands　were　clasped　round　her　knees。　　It　was　evident　that　she　was　some　one　in　hopeless　trouble；　and　as　such　it　was　my　duty　to　stop　and　speak。　　I　naturally　addressed　her　first　in　Flemish；　believing　her　to　be　one　of　the　lower　class　of　inhabitants。　　She　shook　her　head；　but　did　not　look　up。　　Then　I　tried　French；　and　she　replied　in　that　language；　but　speaking　it　so　indifferently；　that　I　was　sure　she　was　either　English　or　Irish；　and　consequently　spoke　to　her　in　my　own　native　tongue。　　She　recognized　my　voice；　and；　starting　up；　caught　at　my　robes；　dragging　me　before　the　blessed　shrine；　and　throwing　herself　down；　and　forcing　me；　as　much　by　her　evident　desire　as　by　her　action；　to　kneel　beside　her；　she　exclaimed：

〃'O　Holy　Virgin！　you　will　never　hearken　to　me　again；　but　hear　him；　for　you　know　him　of　old；　that　he　does　your　bidding；　and　strives　to　heal　broken　hearts。　　Hear　him！'

〃She　turned　to　me。

〃'She　will　hear　you；　if　you　will　only　pray。　　She　never　hears　ME：　　she　and　all　the　saints　in　heaven　cannot　hear　my　prayers；　for　the　Evil　One　carries　them　off；　as　he　carried　that　first　away。　　O；　Father　Bernard；　pray　for　me！'

〃I　prayed　for　one　in　sore　distress；　of　what　nature　I　could　not　say；　but　the　Holy　Virgin　would　know。　　Bridget　held　me　fast；　gasping　with　eagerness　at　the　sound　of　my　words。　　When　I　had　ended；　I　rose；　and；　making　the　sign　of　the　Cross　over　her；　I　was　going　to　bless　her　in　the　name　of　the　Holy　Church；　when　she　shrank　away　like　some　terrified　creature；　and　said　…

〃'I　am　guilty　of　deadly　sin；　and　am　not　shriven。'

〃'Arise；　my　daughter；'　said　I；　'and　come　with　me。'　　And　I　led　the　way　into　one　of　the　confessionals　of　St。　Jaques。

〃She　knelt；　I　listened。　　No　words　came。　　The　evil　powers　had　stricken　her　dumb；　as　I　heard　afterwards　they　had　many　a　time　before；　when　she　approached　confession。

〃She　was　too　poor　to　pay　for　the　necessary　forms　of　exorcism；　and　hitherto　those　priests　to　whom　she　had　addressed　herself　were　either　so　ignorant　of　the　meaning　of　her　broken　French；　or　her　Irish…　English；　or　else　esteemed　her　to　be　one　crazedas；　indeed；　her　wild　and　excited　manner　might　easily　have　led　any　one　to　thinkthat　they　had　neglected　the　sole　means　of　loosening　her　tongue；　so　that　she　might　confess　her　deadly　sin；　and；　after　due　penance；　obtain　absolution。　　But　I　knew　Bridget　of　old；　and　felt　that　she　was　a　penitent　sent　to　me。　　I　went　through　those　holy　offices　appointed　by　our　Church　for　the　relief　of　such　a　case。　　I　was　the　more　bound　to　do　this；　as　I　found　that　she　had　come　to　Antwerp　for　the　sole　purpose　of　discovering　me；　and　making　confession　to　me。　　Of　the　nature　of　that　fearful　confession　I　am　forbidden　to　speak。　　Much　of　it　you　know；　possibly　all。

〃It　now　remains　for　her　to　free　herself　from　mortal　guilt；　and　to　set　others　free　from　the　consequences　thereof。　　No　prayers；　no　masses；　will　ever　do　it；　although　they　may　strengthen　her　with　that　strength　by　which　alone　acts　of　deepest　love　and　purest　self…devotion　may　be　performed。　　Her　words　of　passion；　and　cries　for　revengeher　unholy　prayers　could　never　reach　the　ears　of　the　holy　saints！　　Other　powers　intercepted　them；　and　wrought　so　that　the　curses　thrown　up　to　heaven　have　fallen　on　her　own　flesh　and　blood；　and　so；　through　her　very　strength　of　love；　have　brused　and　crushed　her　heart。　　Henceforward　her　former　self　must　be　buried；yea；　buried　quick；　if　need　be；but　never　more　to　make　sign；　or　utter　cry　on　earth！　　She　has　become　a　Poor　Clare；　in　order　that；　by　perpetual　penance　and　constant　service　of　others；　she　may　at　length　so　act　as　to　obtain　final　absolution　and　rest　for　her　soul。　　Until　then；　the　innocent　must　suffer。　　It　is　to　plead　for　the　innocent　that　I　come　to　you；　not　in　the　name　of　the　witch；　Bridget　Fitzgerald；　but　of　the　penitent　and　servant　of　all　men；　the　Poor　Clare；　Sister　Magdalen。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　I；　〃I　listen　to　your　request　with　respect；　only　I　may　tell　you　it　is　not　needed　to　urge　me　to　do　all　that　I　can　on　behalf　of　one；　love　for　whom　is　part　of　my　very　life。　　If　for　a　time　I　have　absented　myself　from　her；　it　is　to　think　and　work　for　her　redemption。　I；　a　member　of　the　English　Churchmy　uncle；　a　Puritanpray　morning　and　night　for　her　by　name：　　the　congregations　of　London；　on　the　next　Sabbath；　will　pray　for　one　unknown；　that　she　may　be　set　free　from　the　Powers　of　Darkness。　　Moreover；　I　must　tell　you；　sir；　that　those　evil　ones　touch　not　the　great　calm　of　her　soul。　　She　lives　her　own　pure　and　loving　life；　unharmed　and　untainted；　though　all　men　fall　off　from　her。　　I　would　I　could　have　her　faith！〃

My　uncle　now　spoke。

〃Nephew；〃　said　he；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　this　gentleman；　although　professing　what　I　consider　an　erroneous　creed；　has　touched　upon　the　right　point　in　exhorting　Bridget　to　acts　of　love　and　mercy；　whereby　to　wipe　out　her　sin　of　hate　and　vengeance。　　Let　us　strive　after　our　fashion；　by　almsgiving　and　visiting　of　the　needy　and　fatherless；　to　make　our　prayers　acceptable。　　Meanwhile；　I　myself　will　go　down　into　the　north；　and　take　charge　of　the　maiden。　　I　am　too　old　to　be　daunted　by　man　or　demon。　　I　will　bring　her　to　this　house　as　to　a　home；　and　let　the　Double　come　if　it　will！　　A　company　of　godly　divines　shall　give　it　the　meeting；　and　we　will　try　issue。〃

The　kindly；　brave　old　man！　　But　Father　Bernard　sat　on　musing。

〃All　hate；〃　said　he；　〃cannot　be　quenched　in　her　heart；　all　Christian　forgiveness　cannot　have　entered　into　her　soul；　or　the　demon　would　have　lost　its　power。　　You　said；　I　think；　that　her　grandchild　was　still　tormented？〃

〃Still　tormented！〃　　I　replied；　sadly；　thinking　of　Mistress　Clarke's　last　letterHe　rose　to　go。　　We　afterwards　heard　that　the　occasion　of　his　coming　to　London　was　a　secret　political　mission　on　behalf　of　the　Jacobites。　　Nevertheless；　he　was　a　good　and　a　wise　man。

Months　and　months　passed　away　without　any　change。　　Lucy　entreated　my　uncle　to　leave　her　where　she　was；dreading；　as　I　learnt；　lest　if　she　came；　with　her　fearful　companion；　to　dwell　in　the　same　house　with　me；　that　my　love　could　not　stand　the　repeated　shocks　to　which　I　should　be　doomed。　　And　this　she　thought　from　no　distrust　of　the　strength　of　my　affection；　but　from　a　kind　of　pitying　sympathy　for　the　terror　to　the　nerves　which　she　clearly　observed　that　the　demoniac　visitation　caused　in　all。

I　was　restless　and　miserable。　　I　devoted　myself　to　good　works；　but　I　performed　them　from　no　spirit　of　love；　but　solely　from　the　hope　of　reward　and　payment；　and　so　the　reward　was　never　granted。　　At　length；　I　asked　my　uncle's　leave　to　travel；　and　I　went　forth；　a　wanderer；　with　no　distincter　end　than　that　of　many　another　wandererto　get　away　from　myself。　　A　strange　impulse　led　me　to　Antwerp；　in　spite　of　the　wars　and　commotions　then　raging　in　the　Low　Countriesor　rather；　perhaps；　the　very　craving　to　become　interested　in　something　external；　led　me　into　the　thick　of　the　struggle　then　going　on　with　the　Austrians。　　The　cities　of　Flanders　were　all　full　at　that　time　of　civil　disturbances　and　rebellions；　only　kept　down　by　force；　and　the　presence　of　an　Austrian　garrison　in　every　place。

I　arrived　in　Antwerp；　and　made　inquiry　for　Father　Bernard。　　He　was　away　in　the　country　for　a　day　or　two。　　Then　I　asked　my　way　to　the　Convent　of　Poor　Clares；　but；　being　healthy　and　prosperous；　I　could　only　see　the　dim；　pent…up；　gray　walls；　shut　closely　in　by　narrow　streets；　in　the　lowest　part　of　the　town。　　My　landlord　told　me；　that　had　I　been　stricken　by　some　loathsome　disease；　or　in　desperate　case　of　any　kind；　the　Poor　Clares　would　have　taken　me；　and　tended　me。　　He　spoke　of　them　as　an　order　of　mercy　of　the　strictest　kind；　dressing　scantily　in　the　coarsest　materials；　going　barefoot；　living　on　what　the　inhabitants　of　Antwerp　chose　to　bestow；　and　sharing　even　those　fragments　and　crumbs　with　the　poor　and　helpless　that　swarmed　all　around；　receiving　no　letters　or　communication　with　the　outer　world；　utterly　dead　to　everything　but　the　alleviation　of　suffering。　　He　smiled　at　my　inquiring　whether　I　could　get　speech　of　one　of　them；　and　told　me　that　they　were　even　forbidden　to　speak　for　the　purposes　of　begging　their　daily　food；　while　yet　they　lived；　and　fed　others　upon　what　was　given　in　charity。

〃But；〃　exclaimed　I；　〃supposing　all　men　forgot　them！　　Would　they　quietly　lie　down　and　die；　without　making　sign　of　their　extremity？〃

〃If　such　were　the　rule　the　Poor　Clares　would　willingly　do　it；　but　their　founder　appointed　a　remedy　for　such　extreme　cases　as　you　suggest。　　They　have　a　bell'tis　but　a　small　one；　as　I　have　heard；　and　has　yet　never　been　rung　in　the　memory　man：　　when　the　Poor　Clares　have　been　without　food　for　twenty…four　hours；　they　may　ring　this　bell；　and　then　trust　to　our　good　people　of　Antwerp　for　rushing　to　the　rescue　of　the　Poor　Clares；　who　have　taken　such　blessed　care　of　us　in　all　our　straits。〃

It　seemed　to　me　that　such　rescue　would　be　late　in　the　day；　but　I　did　not　say　what　I　thought。　　I　rather　turned　the　conversation；　by　asking　my　landlord　if　he　knew；　or　had　ever　heard；　anything　of　a　certain　Sister　Magdalen。

〃Yes；〃　said　he；　rather　under　his　breath；　〃news　will　creep　out；　even　from　a　convent　of　Poor　Clares。　　Sister　Magdalen　is　either　a　great　sinner　or　a　great　saint。　　She　does　more；　as　I　have　heard；　than　all　the　other　nuns　put　together；　yet；　when　last　month　they　would　fain　have　made　her　mother…su