household were converted by Saint Beuno, and made him a church there, and gavehim house-room. The girl was devoted even above her parents, and pledgedherself to a virgin life, hearing Mass every day. But one Sunday it happenedthat she was sick, and stayed at home when all the rest of the household wentto church. And there came to the door the prince of those parts. Cradoc, son ofthe king, who had fallen in love with her at a distance. For this girl was verybeautiful. Very beautiful!” gloated Brother Rhys, and licked hislips loudly. Prior Robert visibly recoiled, but refrained from stopping theflow by reproof. “He pleaded that he was hot and parched fromhunting,” said Brother Rhys darkly, “and asked for a drink ofwater, and the girl let him in and gave him to drink. Then,” he shrilled,hunching himself in his voluminous habit and springing erect with a vigour nobodypresent would have credited, “he pressed his suit upon her, and grappledher in his arms. Thus!” The effort was almost too much for him,and moreover, the prior was eyeing him in alarm; he subsided with dignity.“The faithful virgin put him off with soft words, and escaping intoanother room, climbed from a window and fled towards the church. But findingthat she had eluded him, Prince Cradoc took horse and rode after, andovertaking her just within sight of the church, and dreading that she would revealhis infamy, struck off her head with his sword.”

He paused for the murmur of horror, pity and indignation, and got it, with aflurry of prayerfully-folded hands, and a tribute of round eyes.

“Then thus piteously she came by her death and beatitude?” intonedBrother Jerome enthusiastically.

“Not a bit of it!” snapped Brother Rhys. He had never likedBrother Jerome. “Saint Beuno and the congregation were coming out of thechurch, and saw what had passed. The saint drew a terrible curse upon themurderer, who at once sank to the ground, and began to melt like wax in a fire,until all his body had sunk away into the grass. Then Saint Beuno fitted thehead of the virgin onto her neck, and the flesh grew together, and she stood upalive, and the holy fountain sprang up on the spot where she arose.”