quince my nose touched the cold copper of a snare. Give back to me the
dawn upon the waters from which the skillful fisherman withdraws his
lines heavy with eels. Give back to me the blue gleaning under the
moon, and my timid and clandestine loves amid the wild sorrel, where
I could no longer distinguish the rosy tongue of my beloved from the
dew-laden petal of the eglantine which had fallen upon the grass. Give
back to me my weakness, oh thou, my dear heart. And go, and say unto
God, that I can no longer live with Him."

"Oh Rabbit," Francis answered, "my friend, gentle and suspicious like
a peasant, Oh Rabbit of little faith, you blaspheme. If you have not
known how to find your God it is because in order to find this God,
you would have had to die like your companions."

"But if I die, what will become of me?" cried he with the hide of the
color of stubble.

And Francis said:

"If you die you will become your Paradise."

* * * * *

Thus talking they reached the edge of the Paradise of beasts. There
the Paradise of men began. Rabbit turned his head, and read at the top
of a sign-post on a plate of blue cast-iron where an arrow indicated
the direction

Castétis to Balansun--5 M.