hey set the jars among the old ones beside the
wall, and took their places at the table. And I saw that some of the
jars were very old and mildewed and dusty, but others had still drops of
new must on them and shone from the furnace.

And I said to God, "What is that?" For amid the sound of the singing,
and over the dancing of feet, and over the laughing across the wine-cups
I heard a cry.

And God said, "Stand a way off."

And he took me where I saw both sides of the curtain. Behind the house
was the wine-press where the wine was made. I saw the grapes crushed,
and I heard them cry. I said, "Do not they on the other side hear it?"

God said, "The curtain is thick; they are feasting."

And I said, "But the men who came in last. They saw?"

God said, "They let the curtain fall behind them--and they forget!"

I said, "How came they by their jars of wine?"

God said, "In the treading of the press these are they who came to the
top; they have climbed out over the edge, and filled their jars from
below, and have gone into the house."

And I said, "And if they had fallen as they climbed--?"

God said, "They had been wine."

I stood a way off watching in the sunshine, and I shivered.

God lay in the sunshine watching too.

Then there rose one among the feasters, who said, "My brethren, let us
pray!"

And all the men and women rose: and strong men bowed their heads, and
mothers folded their little children's hands together, and turned their
faces upwards, to the roof. And he who first had risen stood at the
table head, and stretched out both his hands, and his beard was long
and white, and his sleeves and his beard had been dipped in wine; and
because the sleeves were wide and full they held much wine, and it
dropped down upon the floor.

And he cried, "My brothers and my sisters, let us pray."

And all the men and women answered, "Let us pray."

He cried, "For this fair banquet-house we thank thee, Lord."

And all the men and women said "We thank thee, Lord."

"Thine is this house, dear Lord."

"Thine is this house."

"For us hast thou made it."

"For us."

"Oh, fill our jars with wine, dear Lord."

"Our jars with wine."

"Give peace and plenty in our time, dear Lord."

"Peace and plenty in our time"--I said to God, "Whom is it they are
talking to?" God said, "Do I know whom they speak of?" And I saw they
were looking up at the roof; but out in the sunshine, God lay.

"--dear Lord!"

"Dear