Part 11 (2/2)

_First Friar._ What are they doing? Dancing?

_Second Friar._ I told you they were dancing, and you would not believe me.

_First Friar._ What on earth are they doing it for?

_Third Friar._ I heard them saying Father Paul told them to do it if they ever found him in a trance again. He told them it was a kind of prayer and would bring joy down out of heaven, and make it easier for him to preach.

_Second Friar._ How still he is lying; you would nearly think him to be dead.

_A Friar._ It is just a twelvemonth to-day since he was in a trance like this.

_Second Friar._ That was the time he gave his great preaching. I can't blame those that went with him, for he all but persuaded me.

_First Friar._ They think he is going to preach again when he awakes, that's why they are dancing. When he wakes one of them will go and call the others.

_Third Friar._ We were all in danger when one so pious was led away.

It's five years he has been with us now, and no one ever went so quickly from lay brother to novice, and novice to friar.

_First Friar._ The way he fasted too! The Superior bade me watch him at meal times for fear he should starve himself.

_Third Friar._ He thought a great deal of Brother Paul then, but he isn't so well pleased with him now.

_Second Friar._ What is Father Aloysius doing there? standing so quiet and his eyes shut.

_Third Friar._ He is meditating. Didn't you hear Brother Paul gives meditations of his own.

_First Friar._ Colman was telling me about that. He gives them a joyful thought to fix their minds on. They must not let their minds stray to anything else. They must follow that single thought and put everything else behind them.

_Third Friar._ Colman fainted the other day when he was at his meditation. He says it is a great labour to follow one thought always.

_Second Friar._ What do they do it for?

_First Friar._ To escape what they call the wandering of nature. They say it was in the trance Brother Paul got the knowledge of it. He says that if a man can only keep his mind on the one high thought he gets out of time into eternity, and learns the truth for itself.

_Third Friar._ He calls that getting above law and number, and becoming king and priest in one's own house.

_Second Friar._ A nice state of things it would be if every man was his own priest and his own king.

_First Friar._ I wonder will he wake soon. I thought I saw him stir just now. Father Aloysius, will he wake soon?

_Aloysius._ What did you say?

_First Friar._ Will he wake soon?

_Aloysius._ Yes, yes, he will wake very soon now.

_Second Friar._ What are they going to do now; are they going to dance?

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