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Page 9
(_There is a stir in the chancel, even the_ PRIEST _turning to
watch. The_ KING _enters. He is a man of forty with tall
distinguished figure and a proud face. His purple robes, richly
jeweled, trail far behind him and on his head he wears his crown.
Everyone leans forward watching with the greatest tension. The_
KING, _exalted with his mood of selfsacrifice kneels, removes his
crown and lays it in the hands of the_ PRIEST. HOLGER _crouching in
the shadow quivers with anticipation. Again the pantomime of hope
and failure. The_ PRIEST _turns back to the_ KING _and raises his
arm in the customary gesture. The_ KING _starts to rise then
suddenly as though overcome at this spiritual defeat sinks again to
his knees before the altar and buries his face in his hands,
praying. The_ PRIEST _stands with arms crossed upon his breast,
regarding him sorrowfully._)
HOLGER. (_Overwhelmed with disappointment, softly to the woman_) Perhaps
there are no chimes, perhaps the Christ hears us not!
WOMAN. Have faith,--have faith in God.
HOLGER. I would that I could give my pennies to the Child.
(_The_ KING _rises from his prayer and goes sadly to the right,
standing near the lady in red._)
WOMAN. (_In a low ringing voice that thrills like the call of a
trumpet_) Go up, my son,--fear not--The Christ-Child waits for all!
(HOLGER _breathless with the adventure rises and goes timidly
forward out of the gloom of the hut into the splendor of the
chancel, looking very small and poorly dressed beside all the great
ones. He holds out his pennies to the_ PRIEST _who bends and takes
them with a tender little smile, and_ HOLGER, _crossing himself, too
abashed to stand and wait, shrinks back into the darkness and the
sheltering arms of the Woman._)
(_The_ PRIEST _goes up the steps of the altar and holds the pennies
high above his head in consecrating gesture, and as he does so, the
organ music breaks off with an amazed suddenness for from above
there comes the far triumphant ringing of the chimes, mingled with
ethereal voices singing The Alleluia._)
(_A wave of awe sweeps over everyone in the chancel and as the_
PRIEST _wheels and gestures them to their knees, they prostrate
themselves quickly._ HOLGER, _too, kneels awe-struck but the woman
rises to her full height and stands watching. From this time on, she
withdraws gradually into the deeper shadows of the hut and is seen
no more._)
(_As they all kneel the Angel enters from the right, ascends the
steps of the altar and stands beside the huddled figure of the_
PRIEST. _As she stands there, a single pencil of light shines down
upon her from above, a ray of light so brilliant that everything
around seems dull in comparision, and while she gives her message,
the light above grows till it floods her hair and garments with a
miraculous radiance. The_ ANGEL _smiles at_ HOLGER _and chants in a
lovely voice._)
ANGEL. Verily, verily, I say unto you, it is not gold nor silver nor
rich pearls but love and selfsacrifice that please the Lord. The
Christ-Child was hungered and you gave him meat,--a stranger and you
took Him in.
HOLGER. (_In an awed tone_) But I--I have not seen the Christ-Child.
ANGEL. Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these His
Brethern, you have done it unto Him! (_The_ ANGEL _stands with one hand
uplifted, as the music rises in a great crescendo of triumph_. HOLGER,
_quite overcome, drops his face in his hands and as the climax of the
singing is reached, the whole tableau is held for a moment, then blotted
out in darkness_.)
(_There is a pause, then the light on the hearth flares up revealing
the boy alone, still on his knees, looking up bewildered at the back
wall of the hut, where the vision had been. Swiftly he rises to his
feet and turns to face the Woman._)
HOLGER. Dame,--dame!--The Chimes,--the star--did you see? (_She is gone,
he stares about him looking for her_) Gone! Gone! (_The music still
rings softly_) But the Chimes! (_He turns, runs to the window, and
flings open the casement. A soft light, half moonlight, half something
more luminous pours in upon him. He speaks in a tone of infinite
happiness, looking upward_) The stars!--God's Chimes!
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