THE MONK. 37 



appeared as if visible through the thin bony frame which 

 surrounded but hardly seemed to hide it. 



The mere sight of him was enough to remind people of their 

 souls ; but however this might have been with those about him, 

 it is certain that the Good Father never forgot that he had a 

 soul himself; and, what was- more, he thought about the souls 

 of other people, especially about that of his portly patron. 

 He had long, indeed, entertained misgivings on account of 

 that precious jewel, none the safer for the thickness of the 

 fleshy casket which enclosed it; bu great, nevertheless, was 

 his horror on discovering, one day, perhaps by the probings 

 of the confessional, that the treasure committed (as he be- 

 lieved) to his own careful keeping, as well as its possessor's 

 own heedless charge, had been actually stolen by the arch- 

 thief of souls, in other words, that the baron, though a 

 Catholic in all outward observances was (in those days a thing 

 wonderful as horrible) an unbeliever. 



Piercing swords from the word, leaden bullets from the 

 Fathers, threatened thunder-bolts from Kome, all were at 

 the holy man's disposal, and boldly and zealously (although 

 in secret) did he ply these sacred weapons for the ejection of 

 his patron's spiritual foes ; but they still kept fast possession 

 of the baron's soul ; and the baron (as well he might) swore 

 that he had not a soul to keep. 



But Providence appoints its own means as well as its own 

 times and seasons. There are certain shrouds of the Cater- 



