“Last night a vision came to me as I slept. Blessed Benedict, our Father, stood at my side, and his face was troubled.
“‘Arise, my son,’ he cried, ‘arise, for the Lord is at hand and hath need of thee.’
“And I, deeming it was of judgment that he spake, sprang up in shame and fear that the Master should find me sleeping.
“Then cried Blessed Benedict again:—
“‘If thou wilt serve the Lord, make haste, for He hath called thee these many times,’ and so saying passed from my sight.
“Brethren, I went forth as one bewildered, and made haste to the Church lest peradventure I should find Him; but the lamps burnt dim and all was silent. Then I turned aside and went out into the night, and it was very dark, with no sound but the wind in the forest trees.
“My heart was a-hungered, and I sought in cloister and garth; and as I hasted to the gate I cried aloud, even as she cried who sought Him in a garden—‘They have taken away my Lord.’
“At the gate I stayed me, and besought the Lord for a sign; and lo, in the darkness one came and led me by the hand away from the gate, across the garth and up the dormitory stair, nor loosed me until I passed within where the Brethren lay sleeping, and the chamber was bright with exceeding radiance.
“I found myself by the pallet of my dear son Robert: his face was wet with tears; and as he lay I saw upon his shoulder the mark of many stripes.
“Again, one took my hand and led me from one to another of our Brethren, and on every face lay the shadow of a great need, but in every face there was somewhat of the Christ; and the lesson burnt in my heart.