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XIX. The Sacrifice

           HehadouthisnotesonIsaiahandtheprolegomenawhichhehadcompleted,buthiseyescouldscarcelyreadthem.Howsmallandremotetheselaboursseemed!Everynowandthenaquotationfromtheprophetstoodoutinhismanuscript,andthesewereasominousasaraven’scroaking."Burninginsteadofbeauty....Theirfacesshallbeasflames....ThroughthewrathoftheLordofhostsisthelanddarkened,andthepeopleshallbeasthefuelofthefire....Thisistherestwherewithyemaycausethewearytorest."

           Heturnedfromhisnotesinaweandtookuphissecularbooks.OneheopenedatrandomandsawthatitwastheÆneid,andthewordswhichcaughthiseyeswere"manibusdateliliaplenis."Smallwonderthatthebookhadopenedthere,foritwasawell-thumbedpassage;butheshudderedasifhehadcastthesortesVirgilianæandhadgotadolefulanswer.

           Intheeveninghefoundhimselfsomefood,andsincethedarkwasfullofghostsforhim,helitmanycandlesandbankedupthepeatsonthefire.Hewasinastrangemood,raptoutofhimself,sufferingnotsomuchpaininhisthoughtsasafeverofexpectation.Hisfingersdrummedceaselesslyonhisknees;ashelookedintotheglowingpeatshesawformsandfiguresthatseemedtomockhim;tohisunquietearsawindwasblowingroundthehouse--awindthattalked--thoughthenightwasverystill.Andalwaystherewasinhishead,liketherefrainofaballad,thewords"Burninginsteadofbeauty."

           HedidnotseeMarkRiddeltillthemanwasbesidehimandhadtouchedhisshoulder.

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