it upon himself he would he able to plead an excuse for absenting himself from Mathias’ discourses.  Hazael would not refuse to assign to him the task of feeding the doves and the cleaning out of their coops; he would find occupation among the vines and fig-trees—­he was something of a gardener—­and Hazael would not refuse him permission to return to the hills to see that all was well with the flocks.  Jacob will need to be looked after; and there are the dogs; and if they cannot be brought to look upon Jacob as master their lives will be wasted, he said.

I seem to read supper in their eyes, he said, and having tied them up supperless he visited the bitch and her puppies.  Brother Ozias hasn’t forgotten to feed her.  There is some food still in the platter.  But they must submit, he continued, his thoughts having returned to his dogs, Theusa and Tharsa, and then he stood listening, for he could hear Mathias’ voice.  The door of the lecture-room is closed; if I step softly none will know that I have returned from the hills, and I can sit unsuspected on the balcony till Mathias’ allegories are ended, and watching the evening descending on the cliff it may be that I shall be able to examine the thoughts that assailed me as I ascended the hillside; whether we pursue a corruptible or an incorruptible crown the end is the same, he said.  It was not enough for me to love God, I must needs ask others to worship him, at first with words of love, and when love failed I threatened, I raved; and the sin I fell into others will fall into, for it s natural to man to wish to make his brother like himself, thereby undoing the work of God.  Myself am no paragon; I condemned the priests whilst setting myself up as a priest, and spoke of God and the will of God though in all truth I had very little more reason than they to speak of these things.  God has not created us to know him, or only partially through our consciousness of good and evil.  Good and evil do not exist in God’s eyes as in our eyes, for he is the author of all, but it may be that our sense of good and evil was given to us by him as a token of our divine nature.  If this be true, why should we puzzle and fret ourselves with distinctions like Mathias?  It were better to leave the mystery and attend to this life, casting out desire to know what God is or what nature is, as well as desire for particular things in this world which long ago I told men to disregard....  A flight of doves distracted his attention, and a moment after the door of the lecture-room opened and Saddoc and Manahem appeared, carrying somebody dead or who had fainted.  As they came across the domed gallery towards the embrasure Jesus heard Manahem say:  he will return to himself as soon as we get him into the air.  And they placed him where Jesus had been sitting.  A little water, Saddoc cried, and Jesus ran to the well, and returning with a cup of water he stood by sprinkling the worn, grey face.  The heat overcame me, he murmured,