Lighting the Lamps 307

longer, and which it is now so difficult to
realise.

Slowly the afterglow faded; when you
looked carefully for a star, here and there a
little speck of gold could be found in the
heavens; the birds were all in their nests,
head under wing; white and grey moths
were beginning to flutter to and fro.

Suddenly over the fields the sound of
church-bells floated to us.

“Ts that the Angelus, father?” asked
W. V.

“ No, dear; I think it must be the ring-
ers practising.”

“Tf it had been the Angelus, would St.
Francis have stood still to say the prayer?”

“]T think he would have knelt down to
say it. That would be more like St.
Francis.”

“ And would William the Conqueror?”

“Why, no; I fancy he would have taken
it for the curfew bell.”

“They do still ring the curfew bell in
some places, don’t they, father?”

“Oh, yes; in several places; but, of
course, they don’t cover up their fires.”