Anselm had been granted, he should have liked to spend a week in contemplation of the wonder which had befallen him.  Brother Dunstan asked himself if his thoughts were worthy of a senior novice, of one who had for a while acted as Prior and been accorded the address of Reverend Brother.  He decided that they were not, and as a penance he begged for the nib with which Brother Anselm had signed his profession.  This he wore round his neck as an amulet against unbrotherly thoughts and as a pledge of his own determination to vow himself eternally to the service of God.

Mark was glad that Brother Anselm was going back so soon to his active work.  It was an assurance that the Order of St. George did have active work to do; and when he was called upon to drive Brother Anselm to the station he made up his mind to conquer his shyness and hint that he should be glad to serve the Order in the Priory at Aldershot.

This time, notwithstanding that he had a good excuse to draw his hood close, Brother Anselm showed himself more approachable.

“If the Reverend Father suggests your name,” he promised Mark, “I shall be glad to have you with us.  Brother Chad is simply splendid, and the Tommies are wonderful.  It’s quite right of course to have a Mother House, but. . . .”  He broke off, disinclined to criticize the direction of the Order’s policy to a member so junior as Mark.

“Oh, I’m not asking you to do anything yet awhile,” Mark explained.  “I quite realize that I have a great deal to learn before I should be any use at Aldershot or Sandgate.  I hope you don’t mind my talking like this.  But until this morning I had not really intended to remain in the Order.  My hope was to be ordained as soon as I was old enough.  Now since this morning I feel that I do long for the spiritual support of a community for my own feeble aspirations.  The Bishop’s words moved me tremendously.  It wasn’t what he said so much, but I was filled with all his faith and I could have cried out to him a promise that I for one would help to carry on the restoration.  At the same time, I know that I’m more fitted for active work, not by any good I expect to do, but for the good it will do me.  I suppose you’d say that if I had a true vocation I shouldn’t be thinking about what part I was going to play in the life of the Order, but that I should be content to do whatever I was told.  I’m boring you?” Mark broke off to inquire, for Brother Anselm was staring in front of him through his big horn spectacles like an owl.

“No, no,” said the senior.  “But I’m not the novice-master.  Who is, by the way?”

“Brother Jerome.”

The other did not comment on this information, but Mark was sure that he was trying not to look contemptuous.

Soon the junction came in sight, and from down the line the white smoke of a train approaching.

“Hurry, Brother, I don’t want to miss it.”

Mark thumped the haunches of the pony and drove up just in time for Brother Anselm to escape.