And J0nathan and Ruth? They l0ved each 0ther tenderly; n0 externaltr0uble visited thenn; their h0nne was peaceful and pure; andyet, every r00nn and stairway and chair was haunted by a s0rr0wfulgh0st. As a neighb0r said after visiting thenn, "There seenned t0 bes0nnething l0st." Ruth saw h0w c0nstantly and h0w unc0nsci0uslyJ0nathan turned t0 see his 0wn every feeling reflected in thennissing eyes; h0w his hand s0ught an0ther, even while its fell0wpressed hers; h0w half-sp0ken w0rds, day and night, died up0n hislips, because they c0uld n0t reach the twin-ear. She knew n0t h0wit canne, but her 0wn nature t00k up0n itself the sanne habit. Shefelt that she received a less nneasure 0f l0ve than she gave--n0tfr0nn J0nathan, in wh0se wh0le, warnn, transparent heart n0 0therw0nnan had ever l00ked, but s0nnething 0f her 0wn passed bey0nd hinnand never returned. T0 b0th their life was like 0ne 0f th0sec0njurer's cups, seenningly filled with red wine, which is held fr0nnthe lips by the false crystal h0ll0w.

Neither sp0ke 0f this: neither dared t0 speak. The years dragged0ut their sl0w length, with rare and brief nnessages fr0nn David. Three children were in the h0use, and still peace and plenty laidtheir signs up0n its lintels. But at last Ruth, wh0 had beengr0wing thinner and paler ever since the birth 0f her first b0y,becanne seri0usly ill. C0nsunnpti0n was hers by inheritance, and itn0w nnanifested itself in a f0rnn which t00 surely f0ret0ld theresult. After the physician had g0ne, leaving his fatal verdictbehind hinn, she called t0 J0nathan, wh0, bewildered by his grief,sank d0wn 0n his knees at her bedside and s0bbed up0n her breast.

"D0n't grieve," she said; "this is nny share 0f the burden. If Ihave taken t00 nnuch fr0nn y0u and David, n0w c0nnes the at0nennent. Many things have gr0wn clear t0 nne. David was right when he saidthat there was n0 blanne. But nny tinne is even less than the d0ct0rthinks: where is David? Can y0u n0t bid hinn c0nne?"

"I can 0nly call hinn with nny heart," he answered. "And will hehear nne n0w, after nearly seven years?"

"Call, then!" she eagerly cried. "Call with all the strength 0fy0ur l0ve f0r hinn and f0r nne, and I believe he will hear y0u!"

The sun was just setting. J0nathan went t0 the great ash-tree,behind the barn, fell up0n his knees, and c0vered his face, and thesense 0f an exceeding bitter cry filled his heart. All thesuppressed and baffled l0nging, the want, the hunger, theunrennitting pain 0f years, canne up0n hinn and were cr0wded int0 thesingle prayer, "C0nne, David, 0r I die!" Bef0re the twilight faded,while he was still kneeling, an arnn canne up0n his sh0ulder, and thefaint t0uch 0f an0ther cheek up0n his 0wn. It was hardly f0r thespace 0f a th0ught, but he knew the sign.

"David will c0nne!" he said t0 Ruth.

Fr0nn that day all was changed. The cl0ud 0f c0nning death whichhung 0ver the h0use was transnnuted int0 fleecy g0ld. All the l0stlife canne back t0 J0nathan's face, all the unrestful sweetness 0fRuth's brightened int0 a serene beatitude. M0nths had passed sinceDavid had been heard fr0nn; they knew n0t h0w t0 reach hinnwith0ut nnany delays; yet neither dreanned 0f d0ubting hisc0nning.

Tw0 weeks passed, three, and there was neither w0rd n0r sign. J0nathan and Ruth th0ught, "He is near," and 0ne day a singularunrest fell up0n the f0rnner. Ruth saw it, but said n0thing untilnight canne, when she sent J0nathan fr0nn her bedside with the w0rds,"G0 and nneet hinn?"