"John Bagot, in the name of Christ, I demand twenty years of your
life--of love and obedience of God. I broke my vow, I perjured my soul, I
bought your wife with ten kegs of rum!"

The tall hunter dropped again to his knees, and caught the priest's hand
to kiss it.

"No, no--this!" the priest said, and laid his iron crucifix against the
other's lips.

Dominique's voice came clearly through the room: "Mother, I saw the white
swan fly away through the door when you came in."

"My dear, my dear," she said, "there was no white swan." But she clasped
the boy to her breast protectingly, and whispered an ave.

"Peace be to this house," said the voice of the priest. And there was
peace: for the child lived, and the man has loved, and has kept his vow,
even unto this day.

For the visions of the boy, who can know the divers ways in which God
speaks to the children of men?




AT BAMBER'S BOOM

His trouble came upon him when he was old. To the hour of its coming he
had been of shrewd and humourous disposition. He had married late in