“She has—­gone away?  With whom?” Sister Angela began to comprehend and she lowered her voice, bending toward Becky.

“She ain’t gone with any one—­she didn’t have ter—­but she’ll fotch up with someone fore long.  She’s gone to larn—­she got the call, same as all her kin—­it’s the curse!”

Now that the wall of reserve was down the pent waters rushed through and they came on the fanciful, dramatic words peculiar to Becky and her kind.  Angela did not interrupt—­she waited while the old, stifled voice ran on: 

“I had to larn, and I went far and saw sights, and when it was larned I cum back, with Zalie’s mother rolled up like she was a bundle.  The old cabin was empty ’cept for wild things as found shelter there—­me and her settled down and no one found out for some time, and then it didn’t matter!

“Zalie’s mother, she had to larn and she went with a man as helped her larn powerful quick.  He don killed my gal by his ways an’ he left her to die.  It was a stranger as brought Zalie to me, and then I set myself to the task of keeping her from the curse—­but she got the call and she went!  I can see her”—­here the strange eyes looked as the eyes of a seer look—­they were following the girl on the “larnin’ way”; the tired voice trailed sadly—­“I can see how she went.  It was nearing morning and all the moonlight that the night had left was piled like mist down in the Gap.  Her head was up and she had her hands out—­sorter feelin’, feelin’, and she would laugh—­oh! she would laugh—­and then she’d catch the scent, and be off!  Oh! my Gawd, my Gawd!”

Becky swayed back and forth and moaned softly as one does who has emptied his soul and waits.

Sister Angela got up and bent over the old woman, her thin white hand on the crouching back.

“When did this happen?” she asked.

“Mos’ a year back!”

“And you have only come now to tell me?  Why did you wait?”

“Twasn’t no use coming before—­but now, I ’low she’s coming back, same as all us does, after the larnin’!  I had a vision las’ night—­and this morning—­I saw The Ship on the Rock—­she’ll come!”

Again the old woman’s eyes were lifted and she peered into the depths of the fire.

“I seed Zalie las’ night!  She come with hit.”

“With what?” Sister Angela had that peculiar pricking sensation of the skin caused by tense nerves.

“With hit.  Her young-un!  That’s what larnin’ means to us-all.  Hit!  After that, nothin’ counts one way or ’other.  Zalie spoke in her vision—­clear like she was in the flesh.  She don made me understand that I mus’ give hit a chance; break the curse—­there is only one way!”

“What way, Becky?” Angela was whispering as if she and the old woman near her were conspiring together.

“Hit mus’ go where no one knows—­no one ever can know.  It’s the knowin’ that damns us-all.  Folks knowin’ an’ expectin’—­an’ helpin’ the curse.  Hit’s got to start fresh an’ no one knowin’.”