But I thought at once that this was something too strongly desired, and that it was not good.

And besides," he added, smiling, "after all the habit would have been missing." A slight movement of Don Clemente's lips revealed to him that he had brought the habit with him from Subiaco.

Benedetto experienced a great wave of intense inward emotion.

He clasped his hands, and remained silent as long as the inward struggle was going on, the struggle between the desire that the vision might be fulfilled, and the consciousness that its fulfilment could not come about naturally.

He concentrated his mind in an act of abnegation to the Divine Will.
"The Lord wishes me to die here," he said.