ed thee--get it into thy mind, grave it deep in
thy soul--He loved thee, and gave His life for thee."

"Me?" Leuesa had come to a sudden stand. "You don't mean _me_?"

"I mean thee, and none other."

"Mother always says I'm so stupid, nobody will ever care for me. I
thought--I never heard any body talk like that. I thought it was only
the very greatest saints that could get near Him, and then only through
the Church."

"Thou and I are the Church, if Christ saves us."

"Oh, what do you mean? The priests and bishops are the Church. At
least they say so."

"Ay, they do say so, the hirelings that foul with their feet the water
whence the flock should drink: `we are the people, and wisdom shall die
with us!' `The Temple of the Lord are we!' But the Temple of the Lord
is larger, and wider, and higher, than their poor narrow souls. Maiden,
listen to me, for I speak to thee words from God. The Church of God
consists of the elect of God from the beginning to the end of the world,
by the grace of God, through the merits of Christ, gathered together by
the Holy Ghost, and fore-ordained to eternal life. They that hear and
understand the Word of God, receiving it to their souls' health, and
being justified by Christ--these are the Church; these go into life
eternal. Hast thou understood me, Maiden?"

"I don't--exactly--know," she said slowly. "I should like to
understand. But how can I know whether I am one of them or not?"

"Of the elect of God? If thou hast chosen God rather than the world,
that is the strongest evidence thou canst have that He has chosen thee
out of the world."

"But I sha'n't be in the world--just exactly. You see I'm going to live
in the anchorhold. That isn't the world."

It was not easy to teach one who spoke a different dialect from the
teacher. To Gerhardt, the world was the opposite of God; to Leuesa, it
was merely the opposite of the cloister.

"Put `sin' for `the world,' Maiden," said Gerhardt, "and thou wilt
understand me better."

"But what must I do to keep out of sin?"

"`If thou wilt love Christ and follow His teaching,'" said Gerhardt,
quoting from his confession of faith, "`thou must watch, and read the
Scriptures. Spiritual poverty of heart must thou have, and love purity,
and serve God in humility.'"

"I can't read!" exclaimed Leuesa, in a tone which showed that she would
have deemed it a very extraordinary thing if she could.

"Thou canst hear. Ermine will