"Toward the end his voice grew faint and his mind seemed to wander."

"Far rather tremble, Elijah, if you keep back the words he spoke,
however sharp they may be. My hand is not light. Remember, and speak."

The fear of Elijah changed to a gloomy pride, and now he not only raised
his head, but he even made a step forward and stood in dignity.

"Death took Abraham by the throat, and yet he continued to speak. 'Tell
David that four masters cherished Abraham, but David cast him out like a
dog and broke his heart, and therefore he dies. Although I bless him,
God will hereafter judge him!'"

A shudder went through the entire group, and Ruth herself was uneasy.

"Keep your own thoughts and the words of Abraham well divided," said
David solemnly. "I know his mind and its working. Continue, but be
warned."

"I am warned, David, but my brother Abraham is dead and my heart weeps
for him!"

"God will hereafter judge me," said David harshly. "And what was the
further judgment of Abraham, the old man?"

"Even this: 'David has opened the Garden to one and therefore it will be
opened to all. The law is broken. The first sin is the hard sin and the
others follow easily. It is swift to run downhill. He has brought in
one, and another will soon follow.'"

"Elijah," thundered David, "you have wrested his words to fit the thing
you see."

"May the dead hand of Abraham strike me down if these were not his
words."

"Had he become a prophet?" muttered David. "No, it was maundering of an
old man."

"God speaks on the lips of the dying, David."

"You have said enough."

"Wait!"

"You are rash, Elijah."

She could not see the face of David, but the terror and frenzied
devotion of Elijah served her as mirror to see the wrath of the master
of the Garden.

"David has opened the gate of the Garden. The world sweeps in and shall
carry away the life of Eden like a flood. All that four masters have
done the fifth shall undo."

The strength of his ecstasy slid from Elijah and he dropped upon his
knees with his head weighted toward the earth. The others were frozen in
their places. One who had opened his lips to speak, perhaps to intercede
for the rash Elijah, remained with his lips parted, a staring mask of
fear. In them Ruth saw the rage of David Eden, and she was sickened by
what she saw. She had half pitied the simplicity of this man, this gull
of the clever Connor. Now she loathed him as a savage barbarian. Even
these ol