for us to
go and delighted, as we started away.

Just as we went across the narrow valley the sun went down behind
St. Lucy's hill, and bells or gongs answered one another from
either side.

'So you have a bell up there at the Hospital,' I said.

'There's more than you expect to see at the Hospital,' said
Greenwood mysteriously.

So there was. It wasn't a Hospital at all in our wonted modern
sense, but a rather ornate round Church. Outside, it was plain
enough, but within it gave me a sense of studied charm and even
costliness. No drug-covered or dispenser's table was admitted
within its doors, though both were to be found in one of its
neighbor buildings. The main building housed aids to recovery,
but they were of another type. Over the Altar was a life-sized
picture of Saint Lucy, golden-haired and blue grey-eyed, with
great splendor of shapeliness and stature, and real English
apple-blossom cheeks. She came along a rocky path through an
African forest; she was smiling, and had a far-shining lantern in
her hand. You could single out the trees in the forest, there was
the crimson-flowered tree yet leafless, and the wild fig-tree in
full leaf and cluster, and the wild orange-tree; the wild acacias
and the cactus trees were growing among the stones above. Far off
in the distance, at the back of the picture, there were dim
cliffs and pale sands and waves breaking in the bright star-light.

The time was meant to be cock-crow. At least it seemed so, for a
red cock was perched on a tree-pole in the foreground of the
picture, crowing with a will. In the sky were many stars. The
quarter over the sea whence the Saint came was of excelling
brightness. There the morning star hung in a haze of glory.

The Altar itself was of granite slabs and masses. Before it burnt
a purple-glass lamp, hung by chains of native smithy-work, rather
incongruously heavy, I thought. But who was I to cavil at this
jewel of a shrine in our wilderness?

'Where are we to sleep?' I asked.

'Here, before the Altar,' said Greenwood solemnly.

Even as he spoke his house-boy came in with hushed feet, and
began to spread out our rush mats and many-colored blankets. Then
we went into the dispensary hut, and had our supper and many
pipes together, while the native boys chatted and chewed roasted
monkey-nuts in the hut beside us. I felt very hungry and happy
and healthy generally that night, and we sat at our table long,
and then smoked far into the