slowly repeated a translation.


_Almighty and Everlasting God, grant that our wills be ever meekly
subject to Thy will, and our hearts be ever honestly ready to serve
Thee. Amen._


Her eyes rested, with a wistful smile, upon the book.

"This prayer might suffice," she said, "if our hearts were truly
honest, if our wills were ever yielded. But, alas, our hearts are
deceitful above all things, and our wills are apt to turn traitor to
our good intentions.

"Therefore I have found for you, in the Gregorian Sacramentary, another
prayer--less well-known, yet much more ancient, written over six
hundred years ago. It deals effectually with the deceitful heart, the
insidious, tempting thoughts, and the unstable will. Here is a
translation which I have myself inscribed upon the margin."

The Prioress laid her folded hands upon the missal and as she repeated
the ancient sixth-century prayer, in all its depth of inspired
simplicity, her voice thrilled with deep emotion, for she was giving to
another that which had meant infinitely much to her own inner life.


_Almighty God, unto Whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and
from Whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and