'Praise God, my brethren, praise God! for we have saved the soul of
Brother Jasper from eternal death.'
But when the service was over and the monks had filed out, Brother
Jasper came to himself--and he saw that the light had gone from the
window; the Christ was cold and dead, a thing of the handicraft of man.
What was it that had happened? Had a miracle occurred? The question
flashing through his mind made him cry out. He had prayed for a miracle,
and a miracle had been shown him--the poor monk of San Lucido....And
now he doubted the miracle. Oh, God must have ordained the damnation of
his soul to give him so little strength--perhaps He had sent the miracle
that he might have no answer at the Day of Judgment.
'Faith thou hadst not--I showed Myself to thee in flesh and blood, I
moved My head; thou didst not believe thine own eyes.' ...