ker breathed a soul. But
Zeus being wearied with his labours, and angered by the
craft of Hephaistos, it was less pure than the first. And so
two men came into being._

_"'And he whose body had been fashioned perfectly and
without flaw by the hands of the divine craftsman, walked
the earth with gracious mien. Fair-eyed was he, with locks
like clustering vine-tendrils, and cheeks rosy as the apples
of Love; but the soul of this man was cunning, and he
rejoiced in evils and cruelties, and deceits and mockeries
were upon his lips._

_"'And he whose image had warped in the drying was
unbeautiful in body and swart to look upon, as though
blackened by the forge-fires of Hephaistos, but he dealt
uprightly and hated evil, and on his lips there was no
guile, but faithfulness and truth._

_"'And he who was imperfect in body was yet fairer in the
eyes of Zeus Pater than his brother; because there dwelt
within him a beauteous soul.'"_

"And yet, Mother, if your beautiful soul had not been given beautiful
windows to look out at, and a beautiful mouth to kiss me or scold me with,
and beautiful hands to hold, it would have been a beastly shame!"

Is there a woman living who can resist such sweet daughterly flatteries?
This was very much a woman, and very much a mother, if very much a nun.
She kissed the mouth distilling such dear honey.

"This, not for the compliment, but because it is seven years to-day since
I found you, lying like some poor little strayed lamb on the veld, under
the burning sun."

"That was my real birthday, dearest, dearest...."

The girl pressed closer to her with dumb, vehement affection, as though
she would have grown to the bosom that had been her shield since then.

"On that day a little later, when I looked down and you looked up with big
eyes that begged for love, I knew that we had found each other. And we
have never lost each other since, I think?"

She smiled radiantly into the loving eyes.

"Never, my Mother. But if we did ... if we are ever to be estranged or
parted, it would be better ... oh! it would be better if you had passed by
in the waggon, and left me lying, and the aasvogels and the wild-dogs had
done the rest."

The Mother-Superior said, loosening the clinging arms, and speaking
sternly:

"Never, my daughter. You do gravely wrong to say so. Holy Baptism has been
yours, and Confirmation, and you have shar