dark, ironic, and reckless scorn that, before his recent visionary
experience, had distinguished his whole manner and bearing--the
smile came more readily to his lips--and he seemed content for the
present to display the sunny side of his nature--a nature
impassioned, frank, generous, and noble, in spite of the taint of
overweening, ambitions egotism which somewhat warped its true
quality and narrowed the range of its sympathies. In his then
frame of mind, a curious, vague sense of half-pleasurable
penitence was upon him,--delicate, undefined, almost devotional
suggestions stirred his thoughts with the refreshment that a cool
wind brings to parched and drooping flowers,--so that when
Heliobas, taking up the silver "Esdras" reliquary and preparing to
leave the apartment in response to the vesper summons, said
gently, "Will you attend our service, Mr. Alwyn?" he assented at
once, with a pleased alacrity which somewhat astonished himself as
he remembered how, on the previous evening, he had despised and
inwardly resented all forms of religious observance.

However, he did not stop to consider the reason of his altered
mood, . . he followed the monks into chapel with an air of manly
grace and quiet reverence that became him much better than the
offensive and defensive demeanor he had erewhile chosen to assume
in the same prayer-hallowed place,--he listened to the impressive
ceremonial from beginning to end without the least fatigue or
impatience,--and though when the brethren knelt, he could not
humble himself so far as to kneel also, he still made a slight
concession to appearances by sitting down and keeping his head in
a bent posture--"out of respect for the good intentions of these
worthy men," as he told himself, to silence the inner conflict of
his own opposing and contradictory sensations. The service