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Answer :
The man who was
"learned in strange mysteries"
pointed out to Father John that the orders of the Lord Abbot of St.
Edmondsbury might be easily carried out by blocking up twelve of the
lights in the window as shown by the dark squares in the following
sketch:
Father John held
that the four corners should also
be darkened, but the sage explained that it was desired to obstruct no
more light than was absolutely necessary, and he said, anticipating
Lord Dundreary, "A single pane can no more be in a line
with itself than one bird can go into a corner and flock in
solitude.
The Abbot's condition was that no diagonal lines
should contain an odd number of lights."
Now, when the holy
man saw what had been done he
was well pleased, and said, "Truly, Father John, thou art a man of deep
wisdom, in that thou hast done that which seemed impossible, and yet
withal adorned our window with a device of the cross of St. Andrew,
whose name I received from my godfathers and godmothers."
Thereafter he
slept well and arose refreshed.
The window might be seen intact to-day
in the monastery of St. Edmondsbury, if it existed, which, alas! the
window does not.
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