a cripple, he must be a
very sorry sweetheart; yet, that he was a sweetheart unto his mother at
least he had no doubt, for she did love to hold him in her lap and call
him by that name; and many times when she did so he saw that tears were
in her eyes,--a proof, she told him when he asked, that Master
Sweetheart was her sweetheart before all others upon earth.

It befell that our little Mistress Merciless and Master Sweetheart
became fast friends, and the Queen of Sheba was handmaiden to them
both; for the simple, loyal creature had not a mind above the artless
prattle of childhood, and the strange allegory of the lame boy's speech
filled her with awe, even as the innocent lisping of our little
Mistress Merciless delighted her heart and came within the
comprehension of her limited understanding. So each day, when it was
fair, these three came into the full fair garden, and rambled there
together; and when they were weary they entered into the arbor and sate
together upon the Siege of Restfulness. Wit ye well there was not a
flower or a tree or a shrub or a bird in all that full fair garden
which they did not know and love, and in very sooth every flower and
tree and shrub and bird therein did know and love them.

When they entered into the arbor, and sate together upon the Siege of
Restfulness, it was Master Sweetheart's wont to tell them of the land
of Ever-Plaisance, for it was a conceit of his that he journeyed each
day nearer and nearer to that land, and that his journey thitherward
was nearly done. How came he to know of that land I cannot say, for I
do not know; but I am fain to believe that, as he said, the exceeding
fair angels told him thereof when by night, as he lay sleeping, they
came singing and with caresses to his bedside.

I speak now of a holy thing, therefore I speak truth when I say that
while little children lie sleeping in their beds at night it pleaseth
God to send His exceeding fair angels with singing and caresses to bear
messages of His love unto those little sleeping children. And I have
seen those exceeding fair angels bend with folded wings over the little
cradles and the little beds, and kiss those little sleeping children
and whisper God's messages of love to them, and I knew that those
messages were full of sweet tidings; for, even though they slept, the
little children smiled. This have I seen, and there is none who loveth
little children that will deny the truth of this thing whi