in the holy stillness and hear His voice.

"Then John said: 'I am about to depart from among you, and before my
going I put this command on you that you find in the world a male infant
too young to know its father or mother, or without father and mother
living. Rear that child to manhood in the valley, for even as I depart
so will you all do, and the Garden of Eden will be left tenantless.'

"So when John was dead Matthew went forth and found a male child and
brought him to the valley and the two said: 'Where was the child found
and what is its name?' And Matthew said: 'It was found in the place to
which God led me and its name hereafter shall be David.'

"So peace was on the valley, and David grew tall and strong. Then Luke
died, and Paul died in a drift of snow and Matthew grew very old and
wrote these words for the eye of David."

The smooth running, finely made letters come to an end, the narrative
was taken up in fresher ink and in a bold, heavy hand of large
characters.

"One day Matthew called for David and said: 'My hands are cold, whereby
I know I am about to die. As I lay last night with death for a bedfellow
thoughts came to me, which are these: We have been brother and father
and son to one another. But do not grieve that I am gone. I inherit a
place of peace, but you shall come to torment unless you find a woman in
the world and bring her here to bear children to you and be your wife.'

"Then David groaned in his heart and he said: 'How shall I know her when
I find her?'

"And Matthew said: 'By her simplicity.'

"And David said: 'There may be many who are simple.'

"And Matthew said: 'I have never known such a woman. But when you see
her your heart will rise up and claim her. Therefore, within five years,
before you are grown too old, go out and find this woman and wed her.'

"And on that day Matthew died, and a great anguish came to David. The
days passed heavily. And for five years he has waited."

There was another interval of blank paper, and then the pen had been
taken up anew, hurriedly, and driven with such force and haste that it
tore the paper-surface.

"The woman is here!"

Her fingers stiffened about the edges of the book. Raising her head, she
looked out through the little window and saw the tree tops down the
hillside brightening against the red of the dawn. But Connor could not
see her face. He only noted the place at which she had stopped, and now
he began to laugh.

"Can yo