He took to his bed as soon as
ever the men carrying the body were out of sight. He's an old man is
Father Fabiano."
"Where had he been all the time between the time when the painter
lady left the church, and the hour of Compline?" asked the
Commissary, who had been busily thinking during the lay-brother's
moralizings.
"Ever since a little after the Angelus he had been on his knees at
the altar of St. Apollinare, according to his custom. He told me so,
when he came to give me my potion; for I was down with the fever
yesterday morning."
"Do you know where he was before the Angelus?" returned the
Commissary.
"He had to ring the Angelus himself, seeing that I was down with the
fever. And be came back to the convent in a hurry, fearing that he
was too late. There's very little doubt that it was heating himself
that way that made the fever take hold of him."
"Where was he hurrying back from, then? Where had he been?" asked
the Commissary, endeavouring to hide his eagerness for the reply to
this question under a semblance of carelessness.
"He told me, when he carne to my cell, that he had been into the
forest; and it was plain to see that the walk had been too much for
him; he's too old for moving much now, is Father Fabiano."
"He had been into the forest; and when he came back at the hour of
the Angelus, he seemed quite overcome by his walk?" said the
Commissary, recapitulating, and taking out his note-book as he
spoke.
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