Presently she slowly opened the wallet, took therefrom some choice
morsels, and strewed them on the coping.
"Here, bird," she said, grimly; "I cannot let thee miss thy cheese
because the foolish old creature who taught thee to look for it, comes
this way no more. Take it and begone!"
This was the daily formula.
The "jaunty little layman," undismayed--though the look was austere,
and the voice, forbidding--hopped gaily nearer, pecking eagerly. No
gaping mouths now waited his return. His nestlings were grown and
flown. At last he could afford to feast himself.
Mother Sub-Prioress turned her back upon the coping and stared at the
archway opposite. She had no wish to see the bird's enjoyment.
Then a strange thing happened.
Having pecked up all he wanted, the robin turned his bright eye upon
the motionless figure, seated so near him, wrapped in the aloofness of
an impenetrable silence.
Excepting in her dying moments, Mary Antony's much loved little bird
had never adventured nearer to her than to hop along the coping,
pecking at her fingers when, to test his boldness, she reached out and
with them covered the cheese.
Yet now, with a gentle flick of wings, lo, he alighted on the knee of
Mother Sub-Prioress! Then, while she scarce dared breathe, for wonder
and amaze, hopped to her arm and pecked gently at her veil.
Whereupon something broke in the cold heart of Mother Sub-Prioress.
Tears ran slowly down the thin face.
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