ing, sweet; be glad as I am. Give thanks that it
was to the life and not to the death. Listen, once more, while I can
feel and know; give way to your great heart of love and treat me as you
did after you had bound up my wounds. Learn the sweet lesson I said I
would teach you."

Late that evening, Hoke Belew rode up to the door of David's cabin and
called Aunt Sally out to speak with him.

"How's doc?"

"He's doin' right well. He's asleep now. Won't ye 'light an' come in?"

"I reckon not. Azalie, she's been alone all day, an' I guess she'll be
some 'feared. Will you put that thar under doc's pillow whar he kin find
hit in the mawnin'? Hit's a papah he sont me fer. Tell 'im I reckon
hit's all straight. He kin see. Them people Cassandry was expectin' from
Farington, did they come to-day?"

"Yas, they come. They're down to Miz Farwell's."

"Well, you tell doc 'at Azalie an' me, we'll be here 'long 'leven in the
mawnin'." Hoke rode off under the winking stars, for the clouds after
the long day of rain had lifted, and in the still night were rolling
away over the mountain tops.

Aunt Sally slipped quietly back into the cabin and softly closed the
door of the canvas room, lest the rustling of paper should waken her
charge, for she meant to examine that paper, quite innocently, since she
could neither read nor write, but out of sheer childish curiosity.

She need not have feared waking David, however, for, all his physical
discomfort forgotten, dominated by the supreme happiness that possessed
him, yet weak in body to the point of exhaustion, he slept profoundly
and calmly on, even when she came stealthily and slipped the paper
beneath his pillow, as Hoke had requested.

CHAPTER XX

IN WHICH THE BISHOP AND HIS WIFE PASS AN EVENTFUL DAT AT THE FALL PLACE

"Do you know, James," said Betty Towers, as she walked at her husband's
side in the sweet morning, slowly climbing up to David's cabin from the
Fall Place, "I feel almost vexed with you for never bringing me here
before."

"Why--my dear!"

"Yes, I do. To think of all this loveliness, and for six years you have
been here many times, and never once told me you knew a place hardly two
hours away as entrancing as heaven. Even now, James, if it hadn't been
for Cassandra, I wouldn't have come. Why--it's the loveliest spot on
earth. Stand still a minute, James, and listen. That's a thrush. Oh,
something smells so sweet! It's a locust! And that's a redbird's n