Prev | Current Page 568 | Next

Cooper, James Fenimore, 1789-1851

"The Headsman The Abbaye des Vignerons"

Kneel
with me, then, you that have so much reason to be grateful to God, and
join in the petition."
Father Xavier knelt on the rocks, and all the Catholics of the party
united with him in the prayer for the dead. The Baron de Willading, his
daughter and their attendants stood uncovered the while for though their
Protestant opinions rejected such a mediation as useless, they deeply felt
the solemnity and holy character of the sacrifice. The clavier arose with
a countenance that was beaming and bright as the morning sun which, just
at that moment, appeared above the summits of the Alps, casting its genial
and bland warmth on the group, the brown huts, and the mountain side.
"Thou art a heretic," he said affectionately to Adelheid, in whom he felt
the interest, to which her youth and beauty, and the great danger they had
so lately run in company, very naturally gave birth. "Thou art an
impenitent heretic, but we will hot cast thee off; notwithstanding thy
obstinacy and crimes, thou seest that the saints can interest themselves
in the behalf of obstinate sinners, or thou and all with thee would have
surely been lost.


Pages:
556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580