“I am going —­ I’m going —­ but what do I see! —­”

She was interrupted.

“Do you mean all that, Karen?” said Elizabeth, stepping without the door.

Karen stopped her song and looked round.

“Do you mean all that you are singing, Karen?”

“What I’m singing? —­”

“Yes.  I’ve been listening to you. —­ Do you feel and mean all those words of your hymn?”

“I don’t say no words I don’t mean,” said Karen, going on with her work; —­ “anyhow, I don’t mean to.”

“But those words you have been singing —­ do you mean that you feel them all?”

Karen stood up and faced her as she answered,

“Yes!”

“Do you mean that you would rather die than live?”

“If ’twas the Lord’s will, I would,” said Karen, without moving her face.

“Why?”

Karen looked at her still, but her face unbent in a little bit of a smile.

“You ain’t one of the Lord’s people, be you, young lady?”

“I don’t know —­” said Elizabeth, blushing and hesitating, —­ “I mean to be.”

“Do you mean to be one of ’em?” said Karen.

“I wish to be —­ yes, I mean to be, —­ if I can.”

The old woman dried her hand which had been busy in water, and coming up took one of Elizabeth’s, —­ looked at its delicate tints in her own wrinkled and black fingers, and then lifting a moistened eye to Elizabeth’s face, she answered expressively,

“Then you’ll know.”

“But I want to know something about it now,” said the young lady as Karen went back to her work.  “Tell me.  How can you wish to ‘leave all for heaven,’ as you were singing a moment ago?”

“I’d ha’ done that plenty o’ years ago,” said Karen.  “I’d got enough of this world by that time.”

“Is that the reason?”

“What reason?” said Karen.

“Is that the reason you would like to go to heaven?”

“It’s the reason why I’m willing to leave the earth,” said Karen.  “It hain’t nothin’ to do with heaven.”

“Anybody might be willing to go to heaven at that rate,” said Elizabeth.

“That ain’t all, young lady,” said Karen, working away while she spoke.  “I’m not only willin’ to go —­ I’m willin’ to be there when I get there —­ and I’m ready too, thank the Lord!”

“How can one be ‘ready’ for it, Karen? —­ It seems such a change.”

“It’ll be a good change,” said Karen.  “Mis’ Landholm thinks it is.”

Elizabeth stood silent, the tears swelling; she got little light from Karen.

“You wa’n’t one of the Lord’s people when you come? —­ be you? —­” said Karen suddenly, looking round at her.

“I hardly know whether I am one now, Karen, —­ but I mean to try.”

“Tryin’ ain’t no use,” said Karen.  “If you want to be one of the Lord’s people, you’ve only to knock, and it shall be opened to you.”

“Did you never know that fail?”