Rolla, however, paid little attention to these details.  She was scarcely curious as to the food, which consisted of some sort of vegetable and meat stew, together with butterless bread, a kind of small-grained corn on the cob, a yellowish root-vegetable not unlike turnips, and large quantities of berries.  She was too hungry to be particular, and ate heartily of all that was offered, whether cooked or uncooked.  The twelve almost forgot their own hunger in their interest in the stranger.

It was now pretty dark in the big room.  The white-bearded man said something to the young fellow at the foot of the table, whereupon the chap got up and stepped to the nearest wall, where he pressed something with the tip of his finger.  Instantly the room was flooded with white light—­from two incandescent bulbs!

Rolla leaped to her feet in amazement, blinking painfully in the unaccustomed glare.

“What is this?” she demanded, all the more furiously to hide her fear.  “Ye would not trick me with magic; ye, who call yourselves friends!”

Somat interpreted this to the others.  Some laughed; others looked pityingly at her.  Somat explained: 

“It is nothing, stranger.  Be not afraid.  We forgot that ye might know nothing of this ‘magic.’” He considered deeply, apparently trying to put himself in her place.  “Know ye not fire?” Of course, she did not know what he meant.  “Then,” with an inspiration, “perchance ye have see the flower, the red flower, ye might call—­”

“Aye!” eagerly.  “Doth it grow here?”

Somat smiled with satisfaction, and beckoned for her to follow him.  He led the way through a small door into another room, evidently used as a kitchen.  There he pointed to a large range, remarkably like the up-to-date article known on the earth.

“The flower ‘groweth’ here,” said he, and lifted a lid from the stove.  Up shot the flame.

“Great Mownoth!” shouted Rolla, forgetting all about her hunger.  “I have found it—­the precious flower itself!”

Somat humored her childlike view-point.  “We have the seed of the flower, too,” said he.  He secured a box of matches from a shelf, and showed her the “little sticks.”

“Exactly what the angel showed me!” jubilated Holla.  “I have come to the right place!”

Back she went to her food, her face radiant, and all her lurking suspicion of the twelve completely gone.  From that time on she had absolute and unquestioning confidence in all that was told her.  In her eyes, the twelve were simply angels or gods who had seen fit to clothe themselves queerly and act human.

Supper over, she felt immensely tired.  All the strain of the past three weeks had to have its reaction.  Like a very tired, sleepy child, she was led to a room in another part of the building, where she was shown an ordinary sleeping-cot.  She promptly pulled the mattress onto the floor, where she considered it belonged, and fell fast asleep.