Marie Corelli

The Master-Christian Marie Corelli

He raised his eyes devoutly, and instinctively touched the silver crucifix hanging by its purple ribbon at his breast. The orange-red glow of the sun encompassed him with fiery rings, as though it would fain consume his thin, black-garmented form after the fashion in which flames consumed the martyrs of old, -the worn figures of mediaeval saints in their half-broken niches stared down upon him stonily, as though they would have said, -"So we thought, -even we!-and for our thoughts and for our creed we suffered willingly, -yet lo, we have come upon an age of the world in which the people know us not, -or knowing, laugh us all to scorn." But Cardinal Bonpre being only conscious of a perfect faith, discovered no hints of injustice or despair in the mutilated shapes of the Evangelists surrounding him, -they were the followers of Christ, -and being such, they were bound to rejoice in the tortures which made their glory. It was only the unhappy souls who suffered not for Christ at all, whom he considered were truly to be compassionated.