Little by little upon this silence stole the rustle of leaves,
and in the leaves were the imps who mocked me: "Who is he that doth love--in despite of himself, and shall do,
all his days--be she good or evil, whatever she was, whatever she
is? Who is the very Fool of Love? Peter Vibart! Peter Vibart!"
And so I bowed my face upon my hands, and remained thus a great
while, heeding no more the tempest about me. For now indeed was
my question answered, and my fear realized.
"I love her!--whatever she was--whatever she is--good or evil--I
love her. O Fool!--O most miserable Fool!"
And presently I rose, and went on down the hill. Fast I strode,
stumbling and slipping, plunging on heedlessly through bush and
brake until at last, looking about me, I found myself on the
outskirts of a little spinney or copse; and then I became
conscious that the storm had passed, for the thunder had died
down to a murmur, and the rain had ceased; only all about me were
little soft sounds, as if the trees were weeping silently
together.
Pushing on, I came into a sort of narrow lane, grassy underfoot
and shut in on either hand by very tall hedges that loomed solid
and black in the night; and, being spent and weary, I sat down
beneath one of these and propped my chin in my hands.
How long I remained thus I cannot say, but I was at length
aroused by a voice--a strangely sweet and gentle voice at no
great distance, and the words it uttered were these: "Oh! give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy
endureth forever! O Lord! I beseech Thee look down in Thine
infinite pity upon this, Thy world; for to-day is at hand, and
Thy children must soon awake to life and toil and temptation.
Oh! Thou who art the Lover of Men, let Thy Holy Spirit wait to
meet with each one of us upon the threshold of the dawn, and lead
us through this coming day. Like as a father pitieth his
children, so dost Thou pity all the woeful and heavy-hearted.
Look down upon all those who must so soon awake to their griefs,
speak comfortably to them; remember those in pain who must so
soon take up their weary burdens! Look down upon the hungry and
the rich, the evil and the good, that, in this new day, finding
each something of Thy mercy, they may give thanks unto the Lord,
for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever."