ntain-side wherein the Jew slept the sleep of death; that God had
traced with his finger a mighty gulf about that holy ground which held
the bones of the transgressor. Between heaven and earth hung that
lonely grave, nor could any foot scale the precipice that guarded it;
but one might see that the spot was beautiful with kindly mountain
verdure and that flowers of blood-red dye bloomed in that lonely place.

This was the happening in a summer-time a many years ago; to the mellow
grace of that summer succeeded the purple glory of the autumn, and then
came on apace the hoary dignity of winter. But the earth hath its
resurrection too, and anon came the beauteous spring-time with warmth
and scents and new life. The brooks leapt forth once more from their
hiding-places, the verdure awaked, and the trees put forth their
foliage. Then from the awful mountain peaks the snow silently and
slowly slipped to the valleys, and in divers natural channels went
onward and ever downward to the southern sea, and now at last 't was
summer-time again and the mellow grace of August brooded over the
earth. But in that yonder mountain-side had fallen a symbol never to
be removed,--ay, upon that holy ground where slept the Jew was
stretched a cross, a mighty cross of snow on which the sun never fell
and which no breath of wind ever disturbed. Elsewhere was the tender
warmth of verdure and the sacred passion of the blood-red flowers, but
over that lonely grave was stretched the symbol of him that went his
way to Calvary, and in that grave slept the Jew.

Mightily marvelled Don Esclevador and his warrior host at this thing;
but the Father Miguel knew its meaning; for he was minded of that
vision wherein it was foretold unto the Jew that, pardoned for his sin,
he should sleep forever under the burden of the cross he spurned. All
this the Father Miguel showed unto Don Esclevador and the others, and
he said: "I deem that unto all ages this holy symbol shall bear witness
of our dear Christ's mercy and compassion. Though we, O exiled
brothers, sleep in this foreign land in graves which none shall know,
upon that mountain height beyond shall stretch the eternal witness to
our faith and to our Redeemer's love, minding all that look thereon,
not of the pains and the punishments of the Jew, but of the exceeding
mercy of our blessed Lord, and of the certain eternal peace that cometh
through his love!"

How long ago these things whereof I speak b