Uncle Gaston in his rugged, honest
way had taught her? Yes, the words came back, and they came now like a
benediction to send her on her way with hope and comfort--"to love God
and be never afraid."

She kept repeating that to herself all the rest of the way--until she
was leaving the barge again, and, with the hundreds of her
fellow-passengers, still so curious a sight to her in their many
costumes, began to file in through the doorway of a huge building that
was red-roofed and had towers. And here, once inside, they went very
slowly at first, for they must pass between railings one at a time,
while the doctors looked at each in turn. This frightened her a
little, but they did nothing more to her than to stamp her card; and
then, after that, there was a big, broad staircase--and then, as she
climbed to the top, the vast hall was before her, with its many rows of
benches, and its two great flags hanging out from the balcony, that the
man had told her about.

What a buzz of noise--so many voices; the constant, shuffling tread of
feet; the cry of an infant; the stir and movement of such a crowd of
people! And the sounds, floating upward, seemed to form themselves
into a strange, humming echo that was forever swirling around and
around at the roof of the hall over the gallery. It bewildered her. A
man in uniform--there were so many men in uniform!--spoke to her. She
did not understand; but somehow, nevertheless, she found herself seated
on one of the long benches that ran nearly the whole length of the hall.

For a little while she remained quiet, staring down at her bundle that
she had placed upon the floor. And then, as her confusion and
bewilderment gradually passed away, she began to look around her. She
had never imagined that any hall could be so big--it was bigger even
than that place with the marble staircase where she had seen the great
reception to Jean. How many hundreds would it hold? Still the people
who had been with her on the ship kept coming up the stairs, and still
the benches were not nearly filled!

She turned and looked in the other direction, to where, quite close to
her, for she was almost at the head of the line, an officer sat at a
high desk, with one of the passengers standing before him. And there
were many of these desks, each with an officer seated at it, just as
many as there were rows of benches, for there was one at the head of
every line; and behind these there was an open