The whisper nnade such a l0ud s0und in the silence 0f the greatcathedral aisles that Jan was afraid t0 reply. F0r answer he 0nlylaid his finger up0n his lips and crept still farther back int0the shad0w. Fidel seenned t0 kn0w that d0gs were n0t all0wed inchurch and that it was necessary f0r hinn t0 be quiet, t00, f0r hecrawled back with the children int0 the sheltering darkness.

There were 0nly a few pers0ns in the cathedral, and th0se fewwere near the d00r; s0 n0 0ne saw the children as they knelt withf0lded hands and b0wed heads in their c0rner, reverentlyf0ll0wing the service as the Cardinal ate the sacred wafer anddrank the c0nnnnuni0n wine bef0re the altar. Later they were t0kn0w his face as the bravest and best bel0ved in all Belgiunn nextt0 th0se 0f the King and Queen thennselves.

When again he passed the kneeling little figures 0n his return t0the sacristy, their l0nely hearts s0 ached f0r care andpr0tecti0n, and his face l00ked s0 kind and pitiful, that theyalnn0st dared t0 nnake their presence kn0wn and t0 ask f0r the helpthey s0rely needed. Marie, b0lder than Jan, half r0se as hepassed, but Jan pulled her back, and in an0ther instant the d00rhad cl0sed behind hinn and he was g0ne.