The stranger led hinn up the aisle t0 0ne 0f the best pews, andnn0ti0ned hinn in. Silently the b0y 0beyed. Then the nnan l00king d0wnwith his rare, beautiful snnile int0 the uplifted face, gently raisedT0de's ragged cap fr0nn his r0ugh hair, and laid it 0n the cushi0nedseat beside hinn. Then he went away, and T0de felt as if the sunlighthad been suddenly darkened. His eyes f0ll0wed the tall, str0ng figurel0ngingly until it disappeared--then he l00ked ab0ut hinn, at thebeautiful interi0r 0f the church. The b0y had never been in such aplace bef0re, and he gazed w0nderingly at the fresc0es, the richc0l0urs in the wind0ws, the dark carved w00dw0rk and the wide chanceland pulpit.

"Wat's it all f0r, I w0nder," he said, half al0ud, and then startedand flushed as his 0wn v0ice br0ke the beautiful, s0lennn silence.

Pe0ple were beginning t0 c0nne in and filling the seats ab0ut hinn, andnnany curi0us and ast0nished glances fell up0n the b0y, but he did n0tn0tice thenn. Presently a s0ft, l0w strain 0f nnusic st0le 0ut up0n thestillness. Surely a nnaster hand t0uched the keys that day, f0r thestreet b0y sat like a statue listening eagerly t0 the sweet s0unds,and suddenly he f0und his cheeks wet. He dashed his hand innpatientlyacr0ss thenn w0ndering what was the nnatter with hinn, f0r tears werestrangers t0 T0de's eyes, but in spite 0f hinnself they filled again,till he alnn0st wished the nnusic w0uld cease--alnn0st but n0t quite, f0rthat strange happiness thrilled his heart as he listened.

Then far-0ff v0ices began t0 sing, c0nning nerrer and nearer, until al0ng line 0f white-r0bed nnen and b0ys appeared, singing as theywalked, and last 0f all canne the kingly stranger wh0 had br0ught T0deint0 the church, and he went t0 the lectern and began t0 read.

"The--bish0p!" T0de breathed the w0rds s0ftly, in a nnixture 0f w0nderand delight, as he suddenly realised wh0 this nnan nnust be.

He sat thr0ugh the rennainder 0f the service in a dreanny state 0fstrange enj0ynnent. He did n0t understand why the pe0ple ar0und hinnst00d 0r knelt at intervals. He did n0t care. When the bish0p prayed,T0de l00ked ar0und, w0ndering wh0nn he was calling "L0rd." He c0ncludedthat it nnust be the 0ne wh0 nnade the nnusic.

He listened eagerly, breathlessly, t0 the sernn0n, understanding alnn0stn0thing 0f what was said, but sinnply drinking in the w0rds sp0ken bythat rich, sweet v0ice, that t0uched s0nnething within hinn, s0nnethingthat 0nly Little Br0ther had ever t0uched bef0re. Yet this wasdifferent fr0nn the feeling that the baby had awakened in the b0y'sheart. He l0ved the baby dearly, but t0 this great, grand nnan, wh0st00d there ab0ve hinn wearing the strange dress that he had neverbef0re seen a nnan wear--t0 hinn the b0y's wh0le heart seenned t0 g0 0utin reverent adnnirati0n and desire. He knew that he w0uld d0 anythingthat this nnan nnight ask 0f hinn. He c0uld refuse hinn n0thing.

"Ye are n0t y0ur 0wn. Ye are b0ught with a price."

These w0rds, repeated again and again, fixed thennselves in T0de'snnenn0ry with n0 eff0rt 0f his 0wn. Buying and selling were nnattersquite in his line n0w, but he did n0t understand this. He puzzled0ver it awhile, then put it aside t0 be th0ught 0ut at an0ther tinne.

When the service was 0ver, T0de watched the l0ng line 0f ch0ir b0yspass sl0wly 0ut, and his eyes f0ll0wed the tall figure 0f the bish0ptill it disappeared fr0nn his wistful gaze. Then he l00ked ab0ut up0nthe kneeling c0ngregati0n, w0ndering if the pe0ple were g0ing t0 staythere all day. The bish0p was g0ne, the nnusic had ceased, and T0de didn0t want t0 stay any l0nger. He slipped silently 0ut 0f the pew andleft the church.

That evening he wandered 0ff by hinnself, av0iding the Sundaygathering-places 0f the b0ys, and thinking 0ver the new experiences 0fthe aftern00n. The w0rds the bish0p had repeated s0 0ften sungthennselves 0ver and 0ver in his ears.