118 GOLDEN DAYS 



the Holy Virgin on her return that very 

 evening. 



Now the wise St. Bernard was a saint 

 of long standing. He took a line humble, 

 yet firm, rounding off each argument with 

 cunning references to good Madame St. 

 Anne, Of course, he could only recapitu- 

 late what the Holy Virgin knew already ; 

 namely, that once given this magnificent 

 church of hers, once erect the Church of 

 the Vierge ivimaculee Queen of Heaven 

 in Brittany — well (St. Bernard shrugged 

 with his delightful smile) — well, it must 

 naturally follow that the shrine of St. Anne 

 would be less well attended. After all, 

 human nature was human nature all the 

 world over. So it must come about that 

 gradually her Mother's church would be 

 neglected. Little by little the routes to 

 Keranna, the ways of the pilgrims, would 

 be overgrown with weeds, thorns would 

 spring up around their sacred fountains ; 

 but, of course, the Holy Virgin realised all 

 this. St. Bernard feared he was being 

 tedious, he only hoped he had not been 

 over-presumptuous in even reminding her. 



The Virgin's lips were tremulous, her 



