enough and stirring enough, but not the brazen blast of a trumpet, nor was he launchedfrom his stillness towards the triumphant storming of Jerusalem. He was back inhis stall in the dark corner of the chapter-house, and starting to his feet asalertly as the rest, and with the same consternation and alarm. And the shriekthat had awakened him was just subsiding into a series of rending moans andbroken cries that might have been of extreme pain or extreme ecstasy. In theopen space in the centre of the chapter-house Brother Columbanus lay on hisface, threshing and jerking like a landed fish, beating his forehead and hispalms against the flagstones, kicking and flailing with long, pale legs baredto the knee by his contortions, and barking out of him those extraordinarysounds of shattering physical excitement, while the nearest of the brothershovered in helpless shock, and Prior Robert with lifted hands exhorted andexclaimed.

Brother Cadfael and Brother Edmund, the infirmarer, reached the victimtogether, kneeled over him one on either side, and restrained him frombattering his brains out against the stones of the floor, or dislocating hisjoints in the flailings. “Falling sickness!” said Brother Edmundtersely, and wedged the thick cord of Columbanus’ girdle between histeeth, and a fold of his habit with it, to prevent him from biting his tongue.

Brother Cadfael was less certain of the diagnosis, for these were not thegrunting, helpless noises of an epileptic in an attack, but such as might beexpected from a hysterical woman in a frenzy. But at least the treatmentstopped half the noise, and even appeared to diminish the vigour of theconvulsions, though they resumed again as soon as the restraining grip on himwas loosed.

“Poor young man!” fluttered Abbot Heribert, hovering in thebackground. “So sudden, so cruel an affliction! Handle him gently! Carryhim to the infirmary. We must pray for his restoration.”

Chapter broke up in some disorder. With the help of Brother John, and