"I can't hear."

"Everybody knows," shouted Trenholme.

"How do you know? What do you know?" asked the other, shaking his head
sorrowfully.

Trenholme would have given much to comfort him. He tried to drag him by
main force in the direction of the house. The old man yielded himself a
few steps, then drew back, asking,

"Why do you say He is here?"

"Because" (Trenholme called out his words in the same high key) "before
He died, and after, He said He would always be with His servants. Don't
you believe what He said?"

Again the old man yielded a few paces, evidently listening and hearing
with difficulty, perhaps indeed only hearing one or two words that
attracted him.

"Did the Lord say it to _you_?" he asked eagerly.

"No."

There was blank disappointment shown instantly. They had come to a
standstill again.

"Do you know him?" The strong old face was peering eagerly into his, as