"Whatever is your work is the best," the lady said; "but though you are
so little you are in the Father's secret too; for it is nature to you to
know what the others cannot be sure of, that we must have the victory at
the last. So that we have this between us, the Father and we. And though
all are His children, we are of the kindred of God, because of our Lord
who is our Brother;" and then the Lady Ama kissed her, and bade her when
she returned to the great city, either for rest or for love, or because
the Father sent for her, that she should come to the house by the river.
"For we are friends for ever," she said, and so threw her white veil
over her head, and was gone upon her mission, whither the little Pilgrim
did not know.

And now she found herself at a distance from the great city which shone
in the light with its beautiful towers, and roofs, and all its
monuments, softly fringed with trees, and set in a heavenly firmament.
And the Pilgrim thought of those words that described this lovely place
as a bride adorned for her husband, and did not wonder at him who had
said that her streets were of gold and her gates of pearl, because gold
and pearls and precious jewels were as nothing to the glory and the
beauty of her. The little Pilgrim was glad to have seen these wonderful
things, and her mind was like a cup running over with almost more than
it could contain. It seemed to her that there never could be a time
when she should want for wonder and interest and delight so long as she
had this to think of. Yet she was not sorry to turn her back upon the
beautiful city, but went on her way singing in unutterable content, and
thinking over what the lady had said, that we were in God's secret, more
than all the great worlds above and even the angels, because of knowing
how it is that in darkness and doubt, and without any open vision, a man
may still keep the right way. The path lay along the bank of the river