The Miracle at St. Bruno's Read Online Free PDF

over-watchful; and when we were at meals I would catch him listening as though he expected some messenger who would not be very welcome.
    Friends often called at the house and they would join us at table. Father had many friends both in Law and at Court. During their visits the conversation would be lively at the table and when they had drunk freely of the wine my father served them they would often talk about the affairs of the country. One thing that occupied most of the conversation was “The King’s Secret Matter.” I noticed how Kate’s eyes glistened when it was referred to; and my father said on one occasion: “Remember, my friends, it is The King’s Secret Matter, and therefore it is not for us to discuss or pass judgment.”
    That sobered them; and I noticed how they almost glanced furtively over their shoulders and were very insistent that it was indeed The King’s Secret Matter and none of his subjects should attempt to question royal decisions.
    Yes, it was uneasy.
    But Brother John and Brother James were perhaps more uneasy than anyone. They used to come often and sit and talk with my father. I was too old now to curl up on his lap and listen. Kate was not very interested in them. She wrinkled her little nose with disgust and said: “Monks. Silly old men who go and live in monasteries and kneel for hours in prayer. Their knees must be quite sore. Mine get sore in church. And they live on bread and water and are always telling God how sinful they are—as if He doesn’t know without their telling Him! They wear hair shirts. Ugh. I like silk and satin and cloth of gold. When I grow up I shall always wear cloth of gold—or do you think silver tissue would suit me better?”
    So I did not know of what Brother John and Brother James talked to my father, but I believed that their conversation was full of forebodings and I caught their lack of ease. But only temporarily for Kate soon dispelled it. Life for her was gay and it must be for me if I was to share it. She discovered so much. She told me that Jim, the chief stableman, who had a wife and six children and lived in a cottage on our estate, crept out into the woods to meet Bess, one of the housemaids, and she had seen them lying in the bracken.
    “What would she do about it?” I asked. “Would she tell my father, or Jim’s wife?”
    She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll tell no one but you…and you don’t count. I’ll remember it. It will be useful when I want to use it.” Then she burst out laughing. She liked power. She wanted to have control over us like the puppeteer had over the dolls which he had shown us at Christmastime when he had come with the mummers.
    And then she became interested in the boy.
    One day she came to me when I was in the orchard sitting under a tree whither I had taken my Latin exercise. It was a beautiful day and I decided that I could work more easily out of doors.
    “Put down that silly old book,” commanded Kate.
    “It’s far from silly, Kate. In fact it is very difficult to read. I need all my powers of concentration.”
    “Powers of rubbish!” cried Kate. “I want to show you something.”
    “What?”
    “First,” said Kate, “you have to swear to tell no one. Swear.”
    “I swear.”
    “Hold your hand up and swear by the saints and the Holy Mother of God.”
    “Oh, Kate, that sounds like blasphemy.”
    “Swear or you will be told nothing.”
    So I swore.
    “Now come on,” she said.
    I followed her out of the orchard, across our land to that stone wall which separated us from the Abbey. Tangled ivy grew thick over certain parts of this wall. At one spot she drew it aside and to my surprise disclosed the outline of a door.
    “I noticed that the ivy looked as though it had been disturbed and I investigated,” she said with a laugh. “And so I found this door. It’s hard to open. You have to push it. Come on. Heave with me.”
    I obeyed. The door gave a protesting creak and then swung open. She stepped