The White Ladies of Worcester A Romance of the Twelfth Century   By: Florence L. (Florence Louisa) Barclay (1862-1921)

A Romance of the Twelfth Century

by

Florence L. Barclay

Author of "The Rosary," "The Mistress of Shenstone," etc.

G. P. Putnam's Sons

New York and London

The Knickerbocker Press

1917

COPYRIGHT, 1917

BY

FLORENCE L. BARCLAY

The Knickerbocker Press, New York

TO

FAITHFUL HEARTS

ALL THE WORLD OVER

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. THE SUBTERRANEAN WAY II. SISTER MARY ANTONY DISCOURSES III. THE PRIORESS PASSES IV. "GIVE ME TENDERNESS," SHE SAID V. THE WAYWARD NUN VI. THE KNIGHT OF THE BLOODY VEST VII. THE MADONNA IN THE CLOISTER VIII. ON THE WINGS OF THE STORM IX. THE PRIORESS SHUTS THE DOOR X. "I KNOW YOU FOR A MAN" XI. THE YEARS ROLL BACK XII. ALAS, THE PITY OF IT! XIII. "SEND HER TO ME!" XIV. FAREWELL HERE, AND NOW XV. "SHARPEN THE WITS OF MARY ANTONY" XVI. THE ECHO OF WILD VOICES XVII. THE DIMNESS OF MARY ANTONY XVIII. IN THE CATHEDRAL CRYPT XIX. THE BISHOP PUTS ON HIS BIRETTA XX. HOLLY AND MISTLETOE XXI. SO MUCH FOR SERAPHINE XXII. WHAT BROTHER PHILIP HAD TO TELL XXIII. THE MIDNIGHT ARRIVAL XXIV. THE POPE'S MANDATE XXV. MARY ANTONY RECEIVES THE BISHOP XXVI. LOVE NEVER FAILETH XXVII. THE WOMAN AND HER CONSCIENCE XXVIII. THE WHITE STONE XXIX. THE VISION OF MARY ANTONY XXX. THE HARDER PART XXXI. THE CALL OF THE CURLEW XXXII. A GREAT RECOVERY AND RESTORATION XXXIII. MARY ANTONY HOLDS THE PORT XXXIV. MORA DE NORELLE XXXV. IN THE ARBOUR OF GOLDEN ROSES XXXVI. STRONG TO ACT; ABLE TO ENDURE XXXVII. WHAT MOTHER SUB PRIORESS KNEW XXXVIII. THE BISHOP KEEPS VIGIL XXXIX. THE "SPLENDID KNIGHT" XL. THE HEART OF A NUN XLI. WHAT THE BISHOP REMEMBERED XLII. THE WARNING XLIII. MORA MOUNTS TO THE BATTLEMENTS XLIV. "I LOVE THEE" XLV. THE SONG OF THE THRUSH XLVI. "HOW SHALL I LET THEE GO?" XLVII. THE BISHOP is TAKEN UNAWARES XLVIII. A STRANGE CHANCE XLIX. TWICE DECEIVED L. THE SILVER SHIELD LI. TWO NOBLE HEARTS GO DIFFERENT WAYS LII. THE ANGEL CHILD LIII. ON THE HOLY MOUNT LIV. THE UNSEEN PRESENCE LV. THE HEART OF A WOMAN LVI. THE TRUE VISION LVII. "I CHOOSE TO RIDE ALONE" LVIII. THE WARRIOR HEART LIX. THE MADONNA IN THE HOME LX. THE CONVENT BELL

The White Ladies of Worcester

CHAPTER I

THE SUBTERRANEAN WAY

The slanting rays of afternoon sunshine, pouring through stone arches, lay in broad, golden bands, upon the flags of the Convent cloister.

The old lay sister, Mary Antony, stepped from the cool shade of the cell passage and, blinking at the sunshine, shuffled slowly to her appointed post at the top of the crypt steps, up which would shortly pass the silent procession of nuns returning from Vespers.

Daily they went, and daily they returned, by the underground way, a passage over a mile in length, leading from the Nunnery of the White Ladies at Whytstone in Claines, to the Church of St. Mary and St. Peter, the noble Cathedral within the walls of the city of Worcester.

Entering this passage from the crypt in their own cloisters, they walked in darkness below the sunny meadows, passed beneath the Fore gate, moving in silent procession under the busy streets, until they reached the crypt of the Cathedral.

From the crypt, a winding stairway in the wall led up to a chamber above the choir, whence, unseeing and unseen, the White Ladies of Worcester daily heard the holy monks below chant Vespers.