I mean--you know what I
mean, parroco."
The acolytes having rekindled their torches His Reverence, a happier
man, stepped boldly out of doors and was swallowed up in the murk.
This is a succinct and faithful account of the genesis of that
procession which was to become famous in Nepenthean annals. However
much, in later years, certain envious folks claim to be the originators
of the project it was, from first to last, the Commissioner's idea.
Honour to whom honour is due. He deserved, and took, all credit for it.
Meanwhile he sat down at his table once more, and stared into the
pitchy darkness.
Not long afterwards, the sound of bells announced that something was
being done. Men looked out of their windows and saw flickering lights
moving about the gloom. The flames grouped themselves into definite
arrangements; a procession was being formed. As the parroco had
foretold it was but sparsely attended in the beginning; out of
sixty-five priests and canons of the church, only fourteen found it
convenient to attend; another dozen, however, were presently shamed
into taking their places in the ranks.
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