And how, at length, they declared me unfit for books, when with my
small bolt I had pierced through and through a costly picture which on
the gold ground of a thumb broad margin represented the whole of the
Passion, and promoted me with a sound thrashing to be herd boy of the
monastery.

And how for many years, since my foster parents were dead, I had kept
the sheep of the monastery; and my sole pleasure therein had been in
fighting with the bears, the wolves, and the eagles, that attacked the
lambs.

Or in playing upon my shepherd's pipe, or in listening to the roar of
the sea and the forest.

And Halfred laid my head upon his broad breast, and folded both his
arms around it, and laid his hand upon it, and was still and silent for
a long time.

And I brought him water to drink from the fountain, and milk from my
flock; and would have drawn the stone from the wound, but he said--

"Leave it, my dear son--the end draws near.

"But I feel the band taken away from my brain, which for many many
years has pressed upon it.

"And all becomes clear and bright to my thoughts. I can see inwardly
again how all has been, now that I can no longer see outward things.

"And for thee, and for myself, before I die, I will set forth clearly
and exactly how all has been. Give me once again milk from thy flock to
drink."

And I gave him to drink, and he laid his head again upon my knee, and
began to tell me, quite clearly and distinctly, all that had come to
pass since that midsummer night.

And from his lips have I learned all, onward from that midsummer night,
which in the earlier pages of this book I have written out. And much
have I also learned from him, of those earlier times of which my foster
parents could know nothing.

And I have kept it all in faithful remembrance.

And as the evening fell he came to the end of his account, and he said,

"Lay my face so that once more the sun shall shine upon it. Fain would
I feel the dear Lord once again."

And I did as he commanded.

And he breathed deeply, and said:

"It must certainly be spring. A perfume of wild roses floats to me."

And I told him that he lay under a blooming rose-bush.

And then a blackbird raised his sweet song from the bush.

"Thus I hear once more the blackbird's evening song," said Halfred.

"Now farewell all. Sun and sea, forest and stars of heaven, wild rose
perfume, and songs of birds; and farewell to thee, my dear son. I thank
thee tha