Page:A C Doyle - The White Company.djvu/92

66 stream of worshippers wound down the sloping path, coming from the morning mass, all chattering like a cloud of jays. Alleyne bent knee and doffed hat at the sight of the open door; but ere he had finished an ave, his comrades were out of sight round the curve of the path, and he had to run to overtake them.

'"What!' he said, 'not one word of prayer before God's own open house? How can ye hope for His blessing upon the day?'

'My friend,' said Hordle John, 'I have prayed so much during the last two months, not only during the day, but at matins, lauds, and the like, when I could scarce keep my head upon my shoulders for nodding, that I feel that I have somewhat overprayed myself.'

'How can a man have too much religion?' cried Alleyne earnestly. 'It is the one thing that availeth. A man is but a beast as he lives from day to day, eating and drinking, breathing and sleeping. It is only when he raises himself, and concerns himself with the immortal spirit within him, that he becomes in very truth a man. Bethink ye how sad a thing it would be that the blood of the Redeemer should be spilled to no purpose.'

'Bless the lad, if he doth not blush like any girl, and yet preach like the whole College of Cardinals,' cried the archer.

'In truth I blush that anyone so weak and so unworthy as I should try to teach another that which he finds it so passing hard to follow himself.'

'Prettily said, mon garçon. Touching that same slaying of the Redeemer, it was a bad business. A good padre in France read to us from a scroll the whole truth of the matter. The soldiers came upon Him in the garden. In truth, these Apostles of His may have been holy men, but they were of no great account as men-at-arms. There was one, indeed, Sir Peter, who smote out like a true man; but, unless he is belied, he did but clip a varlet's ear, which was no very knightly deed. By these ten finger-bones! had I