“Never!” said Rosalie, with such a visible jump and accents so sharp that Miss Crokerly looked up, and the frog’s eyes grew wide with warning.
“It was so, indeed. My brother had it on good authority. One of the Golden Priests went in that evening to offer the prayer at the New Moon. He found it there. And then this hushed-up scandal followed.”
Again Rosalie was silent, why, she could scarcely tell. She recognised the handkerchief, which in after events she had never missed. It was her aunt’s birthday gift, with a little silk-embroidered rose in the corner instead of a name.
“But why did the Golden Priest remark upon it?” asked Rosalie.
“That is what I say. And it is that which makes me think the Great High Priest has enemies.”
“But such a thing as that, once died down, could not make him resign.”
“Perhaps not. But I don’t think it ever really did die down. And last year at the ‘Feast of White Souls,’ after the Fast of Black Ones, as he was coming out from between the curtains to sprinkle white confetti down the temple aisles, a most unfortunate thing occurred. The crimson curtain suddenly tore from the rings and fell, and there behind, to the view of a mixed assembly, shone out the Golden Serpent. I was there myself, having gone to hear the music, for on these occasions it is very fine, and was sitting with my brother quite near to the choir stalls.”
“And what did you do?”
“Well, it was very strange, but we all instinctively did the same thing. I took one real good look at the Serpent (and I don’t know any woman there who didn’t, except those who screamed, and some who fainted, for what, it would be hard to tell), and then, from a sense of what was due to the male part of the congregation, we covered our eyes with our handkerchiefs, and all turning our backs upon the God we worshipped, were led solemnly out, with comparatively little confusion. The service could not continue, and that event has made him the most unpopular man on Lucifram.”
“Then,” said Rosalie, half laughing, half sarcastically, leaning back in her chair, and looking at the fire, “I should say it would not be a bad idea to introduce a ‘Feast of Handkerchiefs’ to take the place of the unfortunate White Souls. A handkerchief betrayed one woman and saved the rest. It should receive a place of honour in the temple.”