Why the Chimes Rang | Page 7

Sage sinks exhausted to his knees, listening with
straining senses for the bells.--They do not ring. The_ PRIEST _blesses
the old man and helps him to rise. He turns back and stands near the_
COURTIER _at the left._)
(_A lovely young girl enters, dressed in pale green satin, her arms filled
with a sheaf of white lilies. The very way she carries them and bends
her head to catch their fragrance shows that to her they are the most
beautiful things in the world. Kneeling she gives them into the hands of
the_ PRIEST, _and as he offers them, she listens with childish
confidence for the ringing of the bells.--Still there is no sound save the
organ music and the singing of the choir, subdued almost to a breath as
the gifts are offered. Abashed as the_ PRIEST _blesses and dismisses
her, the young girl steps back and stands near the old Sage._)
(_There is a stir in the chancel, even the_ PRIEST _turning to watch.
The_ KING _enters. He is a man of forty with tall distinguished figure
and a proud face. His purple robes, richly jeweled, trail far behind him
and on his head he wears his crown. Everyone leans forward watching
with the greatest tension. The_ KING, _exalted with his mood of
selfsacrifice kneels, removes his crown and lays it in the hands of the_
PRIEST. HOLGER _crouching in the shadow quivers with anticipation.
Again the pantomime of hope and failure. The_ PRIEST turns back to
the KING _and raises his arm in the customary gesture. The_ KING
_starts to rise then suddenly as though overcome at this spiritual defeat
sinks again to his knees before the altar and buries his face in his hands,
praying. The_ PRIEST _stands with arms crossed upon his breast,
regarding him sorrowfully._)
HOLGER. (_Overwhelmed with disappointment, softly to the woman_)
Perhaps there are no chimes, perhaps the Christ hears us not!
WOMAN. Have faith,--have faith in God.
HOLGER. I would that I could give my pennies to the Child.

(The KING _rises from his prayer and goes sadly to the right, standing
near the lady in red._)
WOMAN. (_In a low ringing voice that thrills like the call of a
trumpet_) Go up, my son,--fear not--The Christ-Child waits for all!
(HOLGER _breathless with the adventure rises and goes timidly
forward out of the gloom of the hut into the splendor of the chancel,
looking very small and poorly dressed beside all the great ones. He
holds out his pennies to the_ PRIEST _who bends and takes them with
a tender little smile, and_ HOLGER, _crossing himself, too abashed to
stand and wait, shrinks back into the darkness and the sheltering arms
of the Woman._)
(The PRIEST _goes up the steps of the altar and holds the pennies high
above his head in consecrating gesture, and as he does so, the organ
music breaks off with an amazed suddenness for from above there
comes the far triumphant ringing of the chimes, mingled with ethereal
voices singing The Alleluia._)
(A wave of awe sweeps over everyone in the chancel and as the
PRIEST _wheels and gestures them to their knees, they prostrate
themselves quickly._ HOLGER, _too, kneels awe-struck but the
woman rises to her full height and stands watching. From this time on,
she withdraws gradually into the deeper shadows of the hut and is seen
no more._)
(_As they all kneel the Angel enters from the right, ascends the steps of
the altar and stands beside the huddled figure of the_ PRIEST. _As she
stands there, a single pencil of light shines down upon her from above,
a ray of light so brilliant that everything around seems dull in
comparision, and while she gives her message, the light above grows
till it floods her hair and garments with a miraculous radiance. The_
ANGEL smiles at HOLGER _and chants in a lovely voice._)
ANGEL. Verily, verily, I say unto you, it is not gold nor silver nor rich
pearls but love and selfsacrifice that please the Lord. The Christ-Child
was hungered and you gave him meat,--a stranger and you took Him in.
HOLGER. (_In an awed tone_) But I--I have not seen the Christ-Child.
ANGEL. Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these
His Brethern, you have done it unto Him! (The ANGEL _stands with
one hand uplifted, as the music rises in a great crescendo of triumph_.
HOLGER, _quite overcome, drops his face in his hands and as the

climax of the singing is reached, the whole tableau is held for a
moment, then blotted out in darkness_.)
(_There is a pause, then the light on the hearth flares up revealing the
boy alone, still on his knees, looking up bewildered at the back wall of
the hut, where