“The sternness of my tones gave to the good brother the necessary assistance.  In a voice still weak and faltering, but gaining firmness as it proceeded, he described the riding.

“Most of the nuns rode but a few yards, held in place by so many willing hands that, from a distance, only the noble head of Icon could be seen above the moving crowd, surmounted by the terrified face of the riding nun; who, hastening to exclaim that her own delight must not cause her to keep others from participation, would promptly fall off into the waiting arms held out to catch her; at once becoming, when safely on her feet, the boldest encourager of the next aspirant to a seat upon the back of Icon.

“Sister Mary Seraphine proved a disappointment.  She had been wont to boast so much of her own palfrey, her riding, and her hunting, that the other nuns had counted upon seeing her gallop gaily over the field.

“The humble and short-lived attempts were all made first.  Then Sister Mary Seraphine, bidding the others stand aside, was swung by one tall sister, acting according to her instructions, neatly into the saddle.

“She gathered up the reins, as to the manner born,” and bade Brother Philip loose the bridle.  But the palfrey, finding himself no longer hemmed in by a heated, pressing crowd, gave, for very gladness of heart, a gay little gambol.

“Whereupon, Sister Mary Seraphine, almost unseated, shrieked to Brother Philip to hold the bridle, rating him soundly for having let go.

“He then led Icon about the meadow, the nuns following in procession; Sister Seraphine all the while complaining; first of the saddle, which gripped her where it should not, leaving an empty space there where support was needed; then of the palfrey’s paces; then of a twist in her garments—­twice the procession stopped to adjust them; then of the ears of the horse which twitched for no reason, and presently pointed at nothing—­a sure sign of frenzy; and next of his eye, which rolled round and was vicious.

“At this, Mother Sub-Prioress, long weary of promenading, yet determined not to be left behind while others followed on, exclaimed that if the eye of the creature were vicious, then must Sister Mary Seraphine straightway dismount, and the brute be led back to the seat where the Prioress sat watching.

“To this Seraphine gladly agreed, and a greatly sobered procession returned to the top of the field.

“But gaiety was quickly restored by the old lay-sister, Mary Antony, who, armed with the Reverend Mother’s permission, insisted on mounting.

“Willing hands, miscalculating the exceeding lightness of her aged body, lifted her higher than need be, above the back of the palfrey.  Whereupon Mary Antony, parting her feet, came down straddling!

“Firm as a limpet, she sat thus upon Icon.  No efforts of the nuns could induce her to shift her position.  Commanding Brother Philip, seeing ‘the Lord Bishop’ was now safely mounted, to lead on and not keep him standing, old Antony rode off in triumph, blessing the nuns right and left, as she passed.