“Still, it is correct; since the consecrating words are uttered, the bread has ceased to be.  This scheme of implied meaning, though somewhat strange, in a literal presentment, a scene of actual grinding—­the wheat in the grain, in flour, and in the Host—­this obvious intention of ignoring the species, the appearances, and substituting the reality which is invisible to sense, must have been adopted by the painter in order to appeal to the masses, to bear witness to the certainty of the Miracle and to make the mystery evident to the people.  But let us return to the construction of our church.  Where were we?”

“Here,” said Durtal, pointing with his stick to the side aisles as traced in the sand.  “Now, to represent the side chapels we have a choice.  One we shall dedicate, of course, to Saint John the Baptist.  To distinguish it from the others we have the gilliflower and the ground-ivy to which he has given his name, and more especially the St. John’s wort, which if gathered on the eve of his festival and placed in a room, destroys malignant spells and charms, is a protection against thunder, and hinders the walking of ghosts.

“It may be added that this plant, famous in the Middle Ages, was used as a remedy for epilepsy and St. Vitus’ dance, two maladies for which the intercession of the Precursor is most efficacious.

“We will dedicate another to Saint Peter.  On his altar we may lay a posy of the herbs dedicated to his service by our forefathers:  the primrose, the wild honeysuckle, the gentian and soap-wort, pellitory and bindweed, with others whose names escape me.

“But, first, will it not be our bounden duty to erect a tower for Our Lady of the Seven Dolours, such as we find in many churches?

“The flower obviously indicated is the passion-flower; that unique blossom, of a purplish blue, its seed-vessel simulating the Cross, its styles and stigma the Nails; its stamens mimicking the Hammer, its thread-like fringe the Crown of thorns—­in short, it represents all the instruments of the Passion.  Add to this, if you will, a bunch of hyssop, plant a cypress, of which Saint Melito speaks as emblematical of the Saviour, and which Monsieur Olier regards as symbolical of death; a myrtle, signifying compassion, according to a passage by Saint Gregory the Great; and, above all, do not omit the buckthorn, or Rhamnus—­for of that shrub the Jews twined the stems that formed Christ’s crown—­and your chapel is complete.”

“The buckthorn,” said the Abbe Gevresin; “yes, Rohant de Fleury says that its thorny branches were used to crown the Son’s head; but this leaves us wondering, when we remember that in the Old Testament, in the ninth chapter of the Book of Judges, all the tall trees of Judaea bow down before the Royalty prophetically prefigured by this humble shrub.”