into the dark, olive valley, and strength seems to go from you in great
waves, until you are robbed of strength as a man may be robbed of
blood.... Then one goes out of one's self and gets it.... The beauty in
the face of young mothers, of brides. That is not body or mind, Shane,
that is their selves. This was the Eleusinian mystery, Shane, that women
know that God lives, and that they cannot die....

"See, Shane, the stars are out. The dew is falling. And on the morrow
you must be afoot early. Shall we go in?"

* * * * *

Once, before Alan Oge was born, a wave of panic swept over him, and he
caught her hand and looked at her:

"What is it, Shane?"

"If--if you should die--"

"I shall not die, Shane. I know. I shall not die."

"But how do you know?"

"I just know, Shane. That's all."

"O Granya, it seems very terrible, that one day one of us should die."

"Dear Shane, it is not very terrible. If I should die, my heart, I
should know I would not have long to wait. And I should be with you,
Shane, even dead, when I could.... And after days of trouble suddenly
one morning you would know you had had a good night's sleep, and that
would be because I had come to you in the night and had kissed you, and
laid a dim hand on you.... And sometimes, in difficulties, you would
feel a sudden rush of strength, and that would be because I was beside
you ... dear heart, dear Shane."

"I am so much older, Granya. I shall be the first to die."

"If you are the first to go, Shane, I shall be like some wife of the
Crusades, of an old time when a dream meant more than a pocketful of
money ... and men were glad to go, and women glad to send them. I shall
sit by my fire, and when you come I shall talk to you in my heart ...
saying little foolish sweet things.... And when I need you, I shall go
out into the soft night, and call, and you will hear my voice in the
Milky Way ... and God will let you come ... my darling...."

"Granya!"

"And maybe--sweet, sweet thought--He will let us go together...."

Section 5

Here was a great fact, that he lived, but with the fact came a problem:
Why? If within him there existed this sentient, supple, strong thing,
and it did exist, for what end was it designed? It was not enough to
have faith, to know one lived to save one's soul.... That was selfish,
and selfishness was an unpardonable thing, the sin against the Holy
Spirit. That has ordained there should b