“But, reaching the doorway, at that moment, I found myself struck dumb by what I saw.

“No robin was there, but a most splendid Knight, in shining armour, kneeled upon his knees before the shrine of our Lady.  A blood-red cross was on his breast.  His dark head was uplifted.  On his noble face was a look of pleading and of prayer.

“Marvelling, but unafraid, I crept in, and kneeled behind that splendid Knight.  The look of pleading upon his face, inclined me also to prayer.  His lips moved, as I had seen at the first; but while I stood upon my feet, I could hear no words.  As soon as I too kneeled, I heard the Knight saying:  ‘Give her to me!  Give her to me!’ And at last:  ’Mother of God, send her to me!  Take pity on a hungry heart, a lonely home, a desolate hearth, and send her to me!’”

Mary Antony paused, fixing her eyes upon the rosy strip of sky, seen through her narrow window.  Absorbed in the recital of her vision, she appeared to have forgotten the presence of the Prioress.  She paused; and there was silence in the cell, for the Prioress made no sound.

Presently the old voice went on, once more.

“When the splendid Knight said:  ‘Send her to me,’ a most wondrous thing did happen.

“Our blessed Lady, lifting her head, looked toward the door.  Then raising her hand, she beckoned.

“No sooner did our Lady beckon, than I heard steps coming along the passage—­that passage which I knew to be empty.  The Knight heard them, also; for his heart began to beat so loudly that—­kneeling behind—­I could hear it.

“Our blessed Lady smiled.

“Then—­in through the doorway came the Reverend Mother, walking with her head held high, and sunlight in her eyes, as I have ofttimes seen her walk in the garden in Springtime, when the birds are singing, and a scent of lilac is all around.

“She did not see old Mary Antony; but moving straight to where the Knight was kneeling, kneeled down beside him.

“Then the splendid Knight did hold out his hand.  But the Reverend Mother’s hands were clasped upon the cross at her breast, and she would not put her hand into the Knight’s; but lifting her eyes to our Lady she said:  ’Holy Mother of God, except thou thyself send me to him, I cannot go.”

“And again the Knight said:  ’Give her to me!  Give her to me!  Blessed Virgin, give her to me!’

“And the tears ran down the face of old Antony, because both those noble hearts were wrung with anguish.  Yet only the merry Babe, peeping over the two bowed heads, saw that old Antony was there.

“Then a wondrous thing did happen.

“Stooping from her marble throne our Lady leaned, and taking the Reverend Mother’s hand in hers, placed it herself in the outstretched hand of the Knight.

“At once a sound like many chimes of silver bells filled the air, and a voice, so wonderful that I did fall upon my face to the floor, said: