whether they should say the old church-formula among themselves or
no? Whether, for example, it might not be more foolish than wise to
repeat it? Yes;--even though there was a rumour that the Cardinal-
Archbishop of a certain small, half-forgotten, but once
historically-famed Cathedral town of France had come to visit Rouen
that day,--a Cardinal-Archbishop reputed to be so pure of heart and
simple in nature, that the people of his far-off and limited diocese
regarded him almost as a saint,--would it be right or reasonable for
them, as the secularly educated children of modern Progress, to
murmur an "Angelus Domini," while the bells rang? It was a doubtful
point;--for the school they attended was a Government one, and
prayers were neither taught nor encouraged there, France having for
a time put God out of her national institutions. Nevertheless, the
glory of that banished Creator shone in the deepening glow of the
splendid heavens,--and--from the silver windings of the Seine which,
turning crimson in the light, looped and garlanded the time-honoured
old city as with festal knots of rosy ribbon, up to the trembling
tops of the tall poplar trees fringing the river banks,--the warm
radiance palpitated with a thousand ethereal hues of soft and
changeful colour, transfusing all visible things into the misty
semblance of some divine dwelling of dreams. Ding-dong--ding dong!
The last echo of the last bell died away upon the air--the last
words enunciated by devout priests in their cloistered seclusion
were said--"In hora mortis nostrae! Amen!"--the market women went on
their slow way homeward,--the children scampered off in different
directions, easily forgetful of the Old-World petition they had
thought of, yet left unuttered,--the bargeman and his barge slipped
quietly away together down the windings of the river out of sight;--
the silence following the clangour of the chimes was deep and
impressive--and the great Sun had all the heaven to himself as he