Why the Chimes Rang | Page 6

and draws him
down beside her_)
WOMAN. Thou, too, wouldst go? (HOLGER, _too moved by her
sympathy to speak, nods silently and puts up a hand to hide the
trembling of his lips. She slips her hand to his shoulder_) Another time
thou'll go!
HOLGER. (_Fighting back his tears_) It'll never be the same again!
To-night the Christ comes. Bertel said--"The Christ!"
WOMAN. Nay, son, pray to the Christ-child, pray that He does not
pass thee by! (_She sits facing the back wall of the hut._ HOLGER
_kneels before her, and drops his head in her lap. She lays her hand
gently upon his hair and makes the sign of the cross above him_)
(_As they have been talking together, the fire on the hearth has burned
itself out and the shadows in the room have crept forward and closed
around them till only a faint outline of_ HOLGER and the WOMAN
_can be distinguished in the glimmer of moonlight shining through the
window nearby. There is a long pause broken only by the boy's sobbing
which gradually sinks to silence. As he prays, a faint light begins to
grow behind him. The smoke-grimed back wall of the hut has vanished
and in its place appears a vision of the cathedral chancel.--One by one
objects emerge from the darkness. The light touches the golden altar,
the gleaming appointments upon it, the jewel-like tones of the stained
glass window above, and the rich carpet under foot; it shows the marble
arches at the sides and shines softly on the robe of the kneeling_
PRIEST. _As the dim vision grows to clearness, so the music comes
nearer and swells forth softly into the Christmas processional.
Unconscious of it all_ HOLGER looks up at the WOMAN, his face

swept with despair.)
HOLGER. Oh, it's no use! I'd rather be all blind and never see than
miss the vision that the Christ will send!
WOMAN. (_Gazing at the vision_) Look, look what comes!
HOLGER. (_Staring at the woman's face illuminated by the light from
the chancel_) Dame! (_He turns to see where the light comes from and
the vision meets his eye_) Oh-h-h-h! (He crouches back at the
WOMAN'S _feet, held spell-bound by the sight. As the music changes
the_ PRIEST _rises slowly to his feet, faces the congregation and
makes a gesture of approach. The voices of the choir join the music,
and from the left side of the chancel, people begin to enter carrying
their gifts_)
(_An imperious looking man, richly dressed in black and gold comes
first, bearing a heavy box. He approaches the altar, kneels and puts the
chest in the_ PRIEST'S _hands, and, that the full value of his gift may
be publicly recognised, he throws back the lid, heaping up the gold coin
with which the box is filled. The_ PRIEST _turns, goes up the steps to
the altar and raises the chest as high as its weight will permit. The man
still kneeling awaits the chimes with superb selfconfidence. The bells
do not ring. Slowly the_ PRIEST _lowers the gold to the altar, turns,
raises his hand in blessing and dismissal. The rich man rises, looking
bewildered at his failure, crosses to the right and stands near the altar as
the pageant moves on._)
(The PRIEST _turns to the next comer_, A COURTIER _brave in
green and gold, who enters with an air of great elegance, bearing
daintily a gilded jewel casket. He kneels, lays it in the_ PRIEST'S
_hands. The latter turns to go but the_ COURTIER _detains him a
second, raises the lid of the box and holds up string after string of rich
gems. The_ PRIEST _carries the jewels to the altar and offers them.
The bells do not ring. The_ PRIEST dismisses the COURTIER, _and
the young man rises, turns back with assumed lightness of manner and
stands at the left of the chancel, watching with great interest._)
(A beautiful WOMAN _clad in flame colored velvet sweeps proudly up
to the steps of the altar, kneels, takes from her neck a long strand of
pearls and offers it to the_ PRIEST. The PRIEST _receives the
necklace, ascends to the altar and offers the jewels. The woman smiling
listens tensely for the chimes. They do not ring. The smile fades as the_

PRIEST _turns and blesses her. She rises trying to hide her chagrin in a
look of great hauteur, crosses to the right and stands near the man in
black and gold with whom she exchanges disdainful smiles over the
next arrival._)
(_An old white haired man clad in a scholar's robes totters on, bearing
with difficulty a large vellum bound book. The_ PRIEST _takes a step
forward to relieve the Old Man of his burden, and as he goes up the
altar steps the