He thought a while.

"No," said he finally, "it is not necessary always to tell all the
truth; but never tell anything that isn't the truth."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Even if it hurts me?"

"Even if it hurts. God is good, He will not let it hurt much."

"He's a fair God, ain't He?" she mused, scanning the evening sky.

"Yes--He's fair, He wouldn't take advantage of a little girl that did
wrong, when she didn't know it was wrong."

Her face lightened and she held his hands in both hers, and said
solemnly as though saying a prayer:

"I won't lie any more, and I won't steal--and--" she looked at him in
startled wistfulness--he remembered it in after years; but he felt he
had preached enough.

"And now for the seed!" he interrupted joyously. "And then--the Silver
Fleece!"

That night, for the first time, Bles entered Zora's home. It was a
single low, black room, smoke-shadowed and dirty, with two dingy beds