lifting her hands to heaven.

"'Oh,' she cried, 'you are cruel, sir, to deprive me of access to the
sacred relics that have enabled me to support with resignation the solitude
to which your excellency's duties have condemned me; and if prayer and
meditation give me any authority to pronounce on such matters, suffer me to
warn you, sir, that I fear the blessed Saint Blandina will punish us for
thus abandoning her venerable remains!'

"The Duke at this seemed to pause, for he was a pious man, and my
grandmother thought she saw him exchange a glance with the chaplain; who,
stepping timidly forward, with his eyes on the ground, said, 'There is
indeed much wisdom in her excellency's words, but I would suggest, sir,
that her pious wish might be met, and the saint more conspicuously honored,
by transferring the relics from the crypt to a place beneath the altar.'

"'True!' cried the Duke, 'and it shall be done at once.'

"But thereat the Duchess rose to her feet with a terrible look.

"'No,' she cried, 'by the body of God! For it shall not be said that, after
your excellency has chosen to deny every request I addressed to him, I owe
his consent to the solicitation of another!'

"The chaplain turned red and the Duke yellow, and for a moment neither
spoke.

"Then the Duke said, 'Here are words enough, Madam. Do you wish the relics
brought up from the crypt?'