"One paper blank?" somebody repeated.
"Yes, really," said Brother Simon. "I looked everywhere, and there's not
a mark on it."
All turned involuntarily toward Mark, whose paper in fact it was,
although he gave no sign of being conscious of the ownership.
"_In a General Chapter of the Order of St. George, held upon the Vigil
of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the year of Grace, 1903, it
was resolved to close the Priory of the Order in the town of
Aldershot._"
The Reverend Father, having invoked the Holy Trinity, declared the
Chapter dissolved.
CHAPTER XXVIII
DIVISION
Mark was vexed with himself for evading the responsibility of recording
his opinion. His vote would not have changed the direction of the
policy; but if he had voted against giving up the house at Aldershot,
the Father Superior would have had to record the casting vote in favour
of his own proposal, and whatever praise or blame was ultimately awarded
to the decision would have belonged to him alone, who as head of the
Order was best able to bear it. Mark's whole sympathy had been on the
side of Brother George, and as one who had known at first hand the work
in Aldershot, he did feel that it ought not to be abandoned so easily.
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