do you mean, Femke?"

"I mean to be saved."

"I don't know," Walter replied. "You mean, to get to heaven?"

"Why, certainly. That's the point. And you can't do that without the
holy virgin and such a book. Shall I teach you the creed, Walter? Then
we'll be together in heaven."

That pleased Walter, and Femke and Walter began:

"God created the world----"

"What did he do before that, Femke?"

"I don't know. But the people were made wicked by a snake; then the
Pope pronounced a curse upon the snake, for the Pope lives in Rome,
you know. And then Jesus was crucified to make the people good
again. That was a long time ago."

"Yes, I know," Walter said, "Jesus changed the number of the year. At
his birth he began at nought."

Femke didn't know again. In this way each supplemented the knowledge
of the other; and Walter was proud that he knew something about the
creed, even if Femke did think it the wrong creed.

"And so Jesus made the people good again, and if you will pray out
of such a book you will be saved. Do you understand, Walter?"

"Not quite. What is an ivory tower?"

"Why, that's only a name for the virgin. It's as if you were to call
the pastor father. Now you understand."

Femke hunted for another illustration.

"You have a mother; what do you call her?"

"Why, I call her mother."

"Correct. What do the other people call her?"

"They call her Juffrouw Pieterse."

"Just so. When we call the holy virgin 'ivory tower' it's just like
calling your mother Juffrouw Pieterse. Ivory gate means that to get
to heaven we must go through the holy virgin. That's the main thing."

"But, Femke, what is a virgin?"

Femke blushed.

"That is anybody that has never had a child."

"Me?" asked Walter in astonishment.

"No, child, it must be a girl!"

"Are you a virgin?"

"Of course!"

Femke spoke the unvarnished truth.

"Of course--because I'm not married."

"But Maria was married--and Jesus was her child."

"Ah, that's where the holiness comes in," replied Femke. "And for that
reason she is called the ivory gate. Do you understand now, Walter?"

Walter did not understand; but he asked permission to take the book
home with him, that he might study it. That, however, was not possible,
as Femke needed the book every day. Walter consoled himself easily,
for not for anything in the world would he have endangered Femke's
salvation. Femke asked him to come again. She would be glad to tell
him all sh