At the upper and eastern end of the chapel stood the altar,
behind which a very rich curtain of Persian silk, embroidered
deeply with gold, covered a recess, containing, unquestionably,
some image or relic of no ordinary sanctity, in honour of which
this singular place of worship had been erected, Under the
persuasion that this must be the case, the knight advanced to the
shrine, and kneeling down before it, repeated his devotions with
fervency, during which his attention was disturbed by the curtain
being suddenly raised, or rather pulled aside, how or by whom he
saw not; but in the niche which was thus disclosed he beheld a
cabinet of silver and ebony, with a double folding-door, the
whole formed into the miniature resemblance of a Gothic church.

As he gazed with anxious curiosity on the shrine, the two
folding-doors also flew open, discovering a large piece of wood,
on which were blazoned the words, VERA CRUX; at the same time a
choir of female voices sung GLORIA PATRI. The instant the strain
had ceased, the shrine was closed, and the curtain again drawn,
and the knight who knelt at the altar might now continue his
devotions undisturbed, in honour of the holy relic which had been
just disclosed to his view. He did this under the profound
impression of one who had witnessed, with his own eyes, an awful
evidence of the truth of his religion; and it was some time ere,
concluding his orisons, he arose, and ventured to look around him
for the hermit, who had guided him to this sacred and mysterious
spot. He beheld him, his head still muffled in the veil which he
had himself wrapped around it, crouching, like a rated hound,
upon the threshold of the chapel; but, apparently, without
venturing to cross it--the holiest reverence, the most
penitential remorse, was expressed by his posture, which seemed