and she would laugh--oh! she would laugh--and then she'd catch the
scent, and be off! Oh! my Gawd, my Gawd!"

Becky swayed back and forth and moaned softly as one does who has
emptied his soul and waits.

Sister Angela got up and bent over the old woman, her thin white hand on
the crouching back.

"When did this happen?" she asked.

"Mos' a year back!"

"And you have only come now to tell me? Why did you wait?"

"Twasn't no use coming before--but now, I 'low she's coming back, same
as all us does, after the larnin'! I had a vision las' night--and this
morning--I saw The Ship on the Rock--she'll come!"

Again the old woman's eyes were lifted and she peered into the depths of
the fire.

"I seed Zalie las' night! She come with hit."

"With what?" Sister Angela had that peculiar pricking sensation of the
skin caused by tense nerves.

"With hit. Her young-un! That's what larnin' means to us-all. Hit! After
that, nothin' counts one way or 'other. Zalie spoke in her vision--clear
like she was in the flesh. She don made me understand that I mus' give