Itneedsnot，’’answeredtheanchoriteinawhisper；wearegoingwherespiritualarmsavailmuch，andfleshlyweaponsarebutasthereedandthedecayedgourd。’’
Theknightdepositedhisswordbythebedsideasbefore，andarmedonlywithhisdagger，fromwhich，inthisperilouscountry，heneverparted，preparedtoattendhismysterioushost。
Thehermitthenmovedslowlyforwards，andwasfollowedbytheknight，stillundersomeuncertaintywhetherthedarkformwhichglidedonbeforetoshowhimthepath，wasnot，infact，thecreationofadisturbeddream。Theypassed，likeshadows，intotheouterapartment，withoutdisturbingthePaynimEmir，wholaystillburiedinrepose。Beforethecrossandaltarintheoutwardroomalampwasstillburning，amissalwasdisplayed，andonthefloorlayadiscipline，orpenitentialscourgeofsmallcordandwire，thelashesofwhichwerestainedwithrecentblood，atoken，nodoubt，oftheseverepenanceoftherecluse。
HereTheodorickkneeleddown，andpointedtotheknighttotakehisplacebesidehimuponthesharpflints，whichseemedplacedforthepurposeofrenderingthepostureofreverentialdevotionasuneasyaspossible；hereadmanyprayersoftheCatholicChurch，andchanted，inalowbutearnestvoice，threeofthepenitentialpsalms。Theselastheintermixedwithsighsandtears，andconvulsivethrobs，whichborewitnesshowdeeplyhefeltthedivinepoetrywhichherecited。TheScottishknightassistedwithprofoundsincerityattheseactsofdevotion，hisopinionsofhishostbeginning，inthemeantime，tobesomuchchanged，thathedoubtedwhether，fromtheseverityofhispenance，andtheardourofhisprayers，heoughtnottoregardhimasasaint；andwhentheyarosefromtheground，hestoodwithreverencebeforehim，asapupilbeforeanhonouredmaster。
Thehermitwas，onhisside，silentandabstractedforthespaceofafewminutes。
Lookintoyonderrecess，myson，’’hesaid，pointingtothefarthercornerofthecell；therethouwiltfindaveil-bringithither。’’
Theknightobeyed；and，inasmallaperturecutoutofthewall，andsecuredwithadoorofwicker，hefoundtheveilinquiredfor。Whenhebroughtittothelight，hediscoveredthatitwastorn，andsoiledinsomeplaceswithsomedarksubstance。Theanchoritelookedatitwithadeepbutsmotheredemotion，anderehecouldspeaktotheScottishknight，wascompelledtoventhisfeelingsinaconvulsivegroan。
Thouartnowabouttolookupontherichesttreasurethattheearthpossesses，’’heatlengthsaid；woeisme，thatmyeyesareunworthytobeliftedtowardsit！Alas！Iambutthevileanddespisedsign，whichpointsouttotheweariedtravelleraharbourofrestandsecurity，butmustitselfremainforeverwithoutdoors。InvainhaveIfledtotheverydepthsoftherocks，andtheverybosomofthethirstydesert。Mineenemyhathfoundme-evenhewhomIhavedeniedhaspursuedmetomyfortresses。’’
Hepausedagainforamoment，and，turningtotheScottishknight，said，inafirmertoneofvoice，YoubringmeagreetingfromRichardofEngland？’’
IcomefromtheCouncilofChristianPrinces，’’saidtheknight；buttheKingofEnglandbeingindisposed，IamnothonouredwithhisMajesty’scommands。’’
Yourtoken？’’demandedtherecluse。
SirKennethhesitated-formersuspicions，andthemarksofinsanitywhichthehermithadformerlyexhibited，rushedsuddenlyonhisthoughts；buthowsuspectamanwhosemannersweresosaintly？-Mypass-word，’’hesaidatlength，isthis-Kingsbeggedofabeggar。’’
Itisright，’’saidthehermit，whilehepaused；Iknowyouwell；butthesentineluponhispost-andmineisanimportantone-challengesfriendaswellasfoe。’’
Hethenmovedforwardwiththelamp，leadingthewayintotheroomwhichtheyhadleft。TheSaracenlayonhisconch，stillfastasleep，Thehermitpausedbyhisside，andlookeddownonhim。
Hesleeps，’’hesaid，indarkness，andmustnotbeawakened。’’
TheattitudeoftheEmirdidindeedconveytheideaofprofoundrepose。Onearm，flungacrosshisbody，ashelaywithhisfacehalfturnedtothewall，concealed，withitslooseandlongsleeve，thegreaterpartofhisface；butthehighforeheadwasyetvisible。Itsnerves，whichduringhiswakinghoursweresouncommonlyactive，werenowmotionless，asifthefacehadbeencomposedofdarkmarble，andhislongsilkeneyelashesclosedoverhispiercingandhawk-likeeyes。Theopenandrelaxedhand，andthedeep，regular，andsoftbreathing，gavealltokensofthemostprofoundrepose。Theslumbererformedasingulargroupalongwiththetallformsofthehermitinhisshaggydressofgoat-skins，bearingthelamp，andtheknightinhiscloseleatherncoat；theformerwithanaustereexpressionofasceticgloom，thelatterwithanxiouscuriositydeeplyimpressedonhismanlyfeatures。
Hesleepssoundly，’’saidthehermit，inthesamelowtoneasbefore，andrepeatingthewords，thoughhehadchangedthemeaningfromthatwhichisliteraltoametaphoricalsense-
Hesleepsindarkness，butthereshallbeforhimaday-spring-
OIlderim，thywakingthoughtsareyetasvainandwildasthosewhicharewheelingtheirgiddydancethroughthysleepingbrain；butthetrumpetshallbeheard，andthedreamshallbedissolved。’’
Sosaying，andmakingtheknightasigntofollowhim，thehermitwenttowardsthealtar，andpassingbehindit，pressedaspring，which，openingwithoutnoise，showedasmallirondoorwroughtonthesideofthecavern，soastobealmostimperceptible，unlessuponthemostseverescrutiny。Thehermit，ereheventuredfullytoopenthedoor，droptsomeoilonthehinges，whichthelampsupplied。Asmallstaircase，hewnintherock，wasdiscovered，whentheirondoorwasatlengthcompletelyopened。
TaketheveilwhichIhold，’’saidthehermit，inamelancholytone，andblindmineeyes；forImaynotlookonthetreasurewhichthouartpresentlytobehold，withoutsinandpresumption。’’
Withoutreply，theknighthastilymuffledtherecluse’sheadintheveil，andthelatterbegantoascendthestaircaseasonetoomuchaccustomedtothewaytorequiretheuseoflight，whileatthesametimeheheldthelamptotheScot，whofollowedhimformanystepsupthenarrowascent。Atlengththeyrestedinasmallvaultofirregularform，inonenookofwhichthestaircaseterminated，whileinanothercorneracorrespondingstairwasseentocontinuetheascent。InathirdanglewasaGothicdoor，veryrudelyornamentedwiththeusualattributesofclusteredcolumnsandcarving，anddefendedbyawicket，stronglyguardedwithiron，andstuddedwithlargenails。
Tothislastpointthehermitdirectedhissteps，whichseemedtofalterasheapproachedit。
Putoffthyshoes，’’hesaidtohisattendant；thegroundonwhichthoustandestisholy。Banishfromthyinnermosthearteachprofaneandcarnalthought，fortoharboursuchwhileinthisplacewereadeadlyimpiety。’’
Theknightlaidasidehisshoesashewascommanded，andthehermitstoodinthemeanwhileasifcommuningwithhissoulinsecretprayer，andwhenheagainmoved，commandedtheknighttoknockatthewicketthreetimes。Hedidso。Thedooropenedspontaneously，atleastSirKennethbeheldnoone，andhissenseswereatonceassailedbyastreamofthepurestlight，andbyastrongandalmostoppressivesenseoftherichestperfumes。Hesteppedtwoorthreepacesback，anditwasthespaceofaminuteereherecoveredthedazzlingandoverpoweringeffectsofthesuddenchangefromdarknesstolight。
Whenheenteredtheapartmentinwhichthisbrilliantlustrewasdisplayed，heperceivedthatthelightproceededfromacombinationofsilverlamps，fedwithpurestoil，andsendingforththerichestodours，hangingbysilverchainsfromtheroofofasmallGothicchapel，hewn，likemostpartofthehermit’ssingularmansion，outofthesoundandsolidrock。Butwhereas，ineveryotherplacewhichSirKennethhadseen，thelabouremployedupontherockhadbeenofthesimplestandcoarsestdescription，ithadinthischapelemployedtheinventionandthechiselsofthemostablearchitects。Thegroinedroofsrosefromsixcolumnsoneachside，carvedwiththerarestskill；andthemannerinwhichthecrossingsoftheconcavearcheswereboundtogether，asitwere，withappropriateornaments，wereallinthefinesttoneofthearchitecture，andoftheage。Correspondingtothelineofpillars，therewereoneachsidesixrichlywroughtniches，eachofwhichcontainedtheimageofoneofthetwelveapostles。
Attheupperandeasternendofthechapelstoodthealtar，behindwhichaveryrichcurtainofPersiansilk，embroidereddeeplywithgold，coveredarecess，containing，unquestionably，someimageorrelicofnoordinarysanctity，inhonourofwhomthissingularplaceofworshiphadbeenerected。Underthepersuasionthatthismustbethecase，theknightadvancedtotheshrine，and，kneelingdownbeforeit，repeatedhisdevotionswithfervency，duringwhichhisattentionwasdisturbedbythecurtainbeingsuddenlyraised，orratherpulledaside，howorbywhomhesawnot；butinthenichewhichwasthusdisclosed，hebeheldacabinetofsilverandebony，withadoublefoldingdoor，thewholeformedintotheminiatureresemblanceofaGothicchurch。
Ashegazedwithanxiouscuriosityontheshrine，thetwofoldingdoorsalsoflewopen，discoveringalargepieceofwood，onwhichwereblazonedthewords，=VeraCrux，=atthesametimeachoiroffemalevoicessung=GloriaPatri。=Theinstantthestrainhadceased，theshrinewasclosed，andthecurtainagaindrawn，andtheknightwhokneltatthealtarmightnowcontinuehisdevotionsundisturbed，inhonouroftheholyrelicwhichhadbeenjustdisclosedtohisview。Hedidthisundertheprofoundimpressionofonewhohadwitnessed，withhisowneyes，anawfulevidenceofthetruthofhisreligion，anditwassometimeere，concludinghisorisons，hearose，andventuredtolookaroundhimforthehermit，whohadguidedhimtothissacredandmysteriousspot。Hebeheldhim，hisheadstillmuffledintheveil，whichhehadhimselfwrappedaroundit，couching，likearatedhound，uponthethresholdofthechapelbutapparentlywithoutventuringtocrossit；theholiestreverence，themostpenitentialremorse，wasexpressedbyhisposture，whichseemedthatofamanbornedownandcrushedtotheearthbytheburdenofhisinwardfeelings。ItseemedtotheScot，thatonlythesenseofthedeepestpenitence，remorse，andhumiliation，couldhavethusprostratedaframesostrong，andaspiritsofiery。
Heapproachedhimasiftospeak，buttherecluseanticipatedhispurpose，murmuringinstifledtones，frombeneaththefoldinwhichhisheadwasmuffled，andwhichsoundedlikeavoiceproceedingfromthecerementsofacorpse，-Abide，abide-
happythouthatmayst-thevisionisnotyetended。’’-Sosaying，herearedhimselffromtheground，drewbackfromthethresholdonwhichhehadhithertolainprostrate，andclosedthedoorofthechapel，which，securedbyaspringboltwithin，thesnapofwhichresoundedthroughtheplace，appearedsomuchlikeapartofthelivingrockfromwhichthecavernwashewn，thatKennethcouldhardlydiscernwheretheaperturehadbeen。
Hewasnowaloneinthelightedchapel，whichcontainedtherelictowhichhehadlatelyrenderedhishomage，withoutotherarmsthanhisdagger，orothercompanionthanhispiousthoughtsanddauntlesscourage。
Uncertainwhatwasnexttohappen，butresolvedtoabidethecourseofevents，SirKennethpacedthesolitarychapeltillaboutthetimeoftheearliestcock-crowing。Atthisdeadseason，whennightandmorningmettogether，heheard，butfromwhatquarterhecouldnotdiscover，thesoundofsuchasmallsilverbellasisrungattheelevationofthehost，intheceremony，orsacrifice，asithasbeencalled，ofthemass。Thehourandtheplacerenderedthesoundfearfullysolemn，and，boldashewas，theknightwithdrewhimselfintothefarthernookofthechapel，attheendoppositetothealtar，inordertoobserve，withoutinterruption，theconsequencesofthisunexpectedsignal。
Hedidnotwaitlongerethesilkencurtainwasagainwithdrawn，andtherelicagainpresentedtohisview。Ashesunkreverentiallyonhisknee，heheardthesoundofthelauds，orearliestofficeoftheCatholicchurch，sungbyfemalevoices，whichunitedtogetherintheperformanceastheyhaddoneintheformerservice。Theknightwassoonawarethatthevoiceswerenolongerstationaryinthedistance，butapproachedthechapelandbecamelouder，whenadoor，imperceptiblewhenclosed，likethatbywhichhehadhimselfentered，openedontheothersideofthevault，andgavethetonesofthechoirmoreroomtoswellalongtheribbedarchesoftheroof。
Theknightfixedhiseyesontheopeningwithbreathlessanxiety，and，continuingtokneelintheattitudeofdevotionwhichtheplaceandscenerequired，expectedtheconsequenceofthesepreparations。Aprocessionappearedabouttoissuefromthedoor。First，fourbeautifulboys，whosearms，neck，andlegswerebare，showingthebronzecomplexionoftheEast，andcontrastingwiththesnow-whitetunicswhichtheywore，enteredthechapelbytwoandtwo。Thefirstpairborecensers，whichtheyswungfromsidetoside，addingdoublefragrancetotheodourswithwhichthechapelalreadywasimpregnated。
Thesecondpairscatteredflowers。
