of the East three Kings came riding, on padded camels with harness
of gold. One was lord of the kingdom of life, and one of the kingdom of
love, and one of the kingdom of death, and each one had said: 'Behold
me! I am supreme.' But they heard that there lived one mightier than
they; and first they scoffed, and next they marvelled, and then they
came to see. People ran to watch them as they passed upon their journey,
and called them great and mighty; and to himself each said: 'They speak
of me.' Each wore about his neck a torques of gold; and in the first was
set a diamond, and in the second was set a ruby, hot as passion, and in
the third was set a pearl. Slaves walked behind them, bearing hampers
filled with gifts for that one who was mightier than they; forty and
four were the slaves that walked behind them, and the hampers were
covered with cloth of gold.

"So came they to their journey's end at nightfall, when the weary earth
was sinking into rest; and they looked about them for a palace more
splendid than their own, fitting for that one who was mightier than
they. But there were only the houses of the town, and stables. They
asked of strangers where such a palace might be, and none could tell
them. Then asked they if a very great and mighty king had been there,
and folk shook their heads and answered nay. There were many strangers,
and all the inns were full, but there was no mighty king that they had
seen. One said: 'It may be that he goeth in disguise,' and the others
answered: 'That may be so.' So they alighted and went into an inn; and
across the courtyard of the inn, in the stalls under the house where
cattle stood, they saw a group of people, three or four.

"And in the centre of the group a bearded man was kneeling, and beside
him, upon clean straw, lay a Woman and her Child. The Kings stood within
the stable, and their greatness was as a glory of light upon the place.
Chains of gold they wore upon their necks, and rings upon their hands,
and the crowns upon their heads were bright with jewels. They looked at
the Woman that lay upon the straw against her man's knees; and she was
fair and young and tender, and her eyes were full of joy and pain. And
one whispered to them: 'Behold, but now she hath brought a man-child
into the world, here in this place, among sweet-breathing oxen and
lowing kine.' So they looked upon the Child that lay on his Mother's
arm."

The voice stopped short, and silence reeled down u