The monastery; The abbot.

72 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
" Wo to me," said the good monk,'; if indeed she went not hence in good
assurance -wo to the reckless shepherd, who suffered the wolf to carry a
choice one from the flock, while he busied himself with trimming his sling
and his staff to give the monster battle I Oh! if in the long Hereafter,
aught but weal should that poor spirit share, what has my delay cost?-the
value of an immortal soul!"
lie then approached the body, full of the deep remorse natural to a good
man of his persuasion, who devoutly believed the doctrines of the Catholic
Church. " Ay," said he, gazing on the pallid corpse, from which the spirit
had parted so placidly as to leave a smile upon the thin blue lips, which had
been so long wasted by decay that they had parted with the last'breath of
animation without the slightest convulsive tremor-" Ay," said Father
Eustace, "there lies the faded tree, and, as it fell, so it lies-awful thought
for me, should my neglect have left it to descend in an evil direction!" He
then again and again conjured Dame Glendinning to tell him what she knew
of the demeanour and ordinary walk of the deceased.
All tended to the high honour of the deceased lady; for her companion,
who admired her sufficiently while alive, notwithstanding some trifling
points of jealousy, now idolized her after her death, and could think of no
attribute of praise with which she did not adorn her memory.
Indeed, the Lady of Avenel, however she might privately doubt some of
the doctrines announced by the Church of Rome, and although she had
probably tacitly appealed from that corrupted system of Christianityto the
volume on which Christianity itself is founded, had nevertheless been
regular in her attendance on the worship of the Church, not, perhaps, extending her scruples so far as to break off communion. Such indeed was
the first sentiment of the earlier reformers, who seemed to have studied, for
a time at least, to avoid a schism, until the violence of the Pope rendered it
inevitable.
Father Eustace, on the present occasion, listened with eagerness to everything which could lead to assure him of the lady's orthodoxy in the main
points of belief; for his conscience reproached him sorely, that, instead of
protracting conversation with the Dame of Glendearg, he had not instantly
hastened where his presence was so necessary. "If," he said, addressing
the dead body, "thou art yet free from the utmost penalty due to the followers of false doctrine-if thou dost but suffer for a time, to expiate faults
done in the body, but partaking of mortal frailty more than of deadly sin,
fear not that thy abode shall be long in the penal regions to which thou
mayest be doomed-if vigils —if masses-if penance-if maceration of my
body, till it resembles that extenuated form which the soul hath abandoned,
may assure thy deliverance. The Holy Church-the godly foundation-our
blessed Patroness herself, shall intercede for one whose errors were counterbalanced by so many virtues.-Leave me, dame-here, and by her bed-side,
will I perform those duties which this piteous case demands!"
Elspeth left the monk, who employed himself in fervent and sincere,
though erroneous prayers, for the weal of the departed spirit. For an hour
he remained in the apartment of death, and then returned to the hall, where
he found the still weeping friend of the deceased.
But it would be injustice to Mrs. Glendinning's hospitality,.if we suppose
her to have been weeping during this long interval, or rather if we suppose
her so entirely absorbed by the tribute of sorrow which she paid frankly
and plentifully to her deceased friend, as to be incapable of attending to the
rights of hospitality due to the holy visiter-who was confessor at once, and
Sub-Prior-mighty in all religious and secular considerations, so far as the
vassals of the Monastery were interested.
Her barley-bread had been toasted —her choicest cask of home-brewed
ale had been broached —her best butter had been placed on the hall-table,
along with her most savoury ham, and her choicest cheese, ere she aban