hooting out small
leaves and buds. The man smoothed down the ground where he drew it out,
and then went very quickly away. David would have wished to stop him,
but he could not. Then the old gardener came back, and looked long at
the place whence the tree had been drawn. Then he sighed to himself, and
cast a swift look in the direction in which the man had fled. He had
brought other trees with him, but he did not plant one in the empty
space, but left it bare. Then David felt that he must follow the other,
and so he did. He found him very speedily, but it was outside the
garden, in a rough place, where thorny bushes and wild plants grew
thickly. The other had cleared a little space among them, and here he
set the tree; but he planted it ill and hastily, as though he was afraid
of being disturbed; and then he departed secretly. David stood and
watched the tree a little. It seemed at first to begin to grow again as
it had done before, but presently something ailed it and it drooped.
Then David saw the thorny bushes near it begin to stretch out their arms
about it, and the wild herbs round about sprang up swiftly, and soon the
tree was choked by them, and hardly appeared above the brake. David
began to be sorry for the tree, which still kept some life in it, and
struggled as it were feebly to put out its boughs above the thicket.
While he stood he saw the old gardener approaching, and as he approached
he carefully considered the ground. When he saw the tree, he smiled, and
drew it out carefully, and went back to the garden, and David followed
him; he planted it again tenderly in the ground; and the tree which had
looked so drooping and feeble began at once to put forth leaves and
flowers. The gardener smiled again, and then for the first time looked
upon David. His eyes were deep and grave like a still water; and he
smiled as one might who shares a secret with another. And then of a
sudden David awoke, and found the light of dawn creeping into the cave;
and he fell to considering the dream, and in a moment knew that it was
sent for his learning. So he hesitated no longer, but gave up his will
to God.

It was a sad hour for David nevertheless; he walked softly about the
cave, and he put aside what he would take with him, and it seemed to him
that he was, as it were, uprooting a tree that had grown deep; he tied
up what he would take with him, but he left some things behind, for he
thought that he might return. And then he k