“Yes; he is here,” she answered, smiling sweetly.  “He is with the Patriarch.”  She lifted her head to include the others in her words.  “It is very wonderful, his gratitude.  He will not leave the Patriarch—­he says he will not leave him ever, that all he has to give for the debt he owes is the life that the Patriarch gave back to him, and he will listen to nothing but that he should devote that life to the Patriarch’s service.”

“I’d like to, too,” said young Holmes, with a quick flush on his face.  “Can I, miss—­can I?”

“Perhaps,” said Helena gently.  “Who knows what there may be that you can do?”

“Dear boy,” said Mrs. Thornton, stroking the lad’s head.  She looked quickly at Helena.  “We, too, are grateful, more than there are words to tell, and we, too, would like to show our gratitude.  We are rich and money—­”

“Money!” the word came in shocked, hurt interruption from Helena, as a signal flashed from Madison’s eyes.  “The Patriarch does not do these things for money—­it would be a bitter grief to him to be misjudged in that way, even in thought.  It is the love in his heart for the suffering ones, and his power goes out to all who ask it freely, with no thought of recompense or gain, and his joy and happiness is the joy and happiness of others.”

“And right off the bat too!” said Madison admiringly to himself.  “Now, wouldn’t that get you!  Say, could you beat it—­could you beat it!”

“Oh, I did not mean that,” said Mrs. Thornton almost piteously.  “Please, please do not think so, for I know so well that money in a personal sense could have no place here, that it would indeed be sacrilege.  It is in quite another way—­Robert, Mr. Madison, you explain what we would like to do.”

It was Madison who explained.

“It is Mrs. Thornton’s idea, Miss Vail,” he said earnestly; “and it is one that I know will realize the Patriarch’s dearest wish—­to extend his sphere of helpfulness to others, to reach out to all who are stricken and have faith to come.  I remember his writing that on the slate, which he used for conversation before his sight was completely taken from him.  I remember the words as though they were before me now:  ’I have dreamed often of a wider field, of reaching out to help the thousands beyond this little town—­it would be wondrous joy.’”

“Yes?” said Helena in a suppressed voice.

“In a way,” Madison went on gravely, “his dream is already realized.  What has happened here this afternoon will in a few hours be known to the whole civilized world, and there will be no room for incredulity or doubt—­on whatever ground people see fit to base their belief, they must still believe; and, believing, they will come here in ever increasing numbers—­but this little village is totally inadequate to accommodate them.  At first, yes, as I said to Mrs. Thornton; but afterwards—­no.  Mrs. Thornton’s idea, Mr. Thornton’s idea and my own, if I may say so, is to build and endow a great sanatorium that, in consonance with the Patriarch’s ideals, shall be free to all—­and we feel that the money for this purpose will come gladly and spontaneously, as it so appropriately should come, from those who find joy and peace and health again at the Patriarch’s hands.”