At the first sound of this chant, the spell that enchained Alwyn's
mind was broken; drawing a quick dashing line under what he had
written, he sprang up erect and dropped his pen.

"Heliobas!" he cried loudly, "Heliobas! WHERE IS THE FIELD OF
ARDATH?"

His voice seemed strange and unfamiliar to his own ears,--he
waited, listening, and the chant went on--"Et Verbo caro factus
est, et habitavit in nobis."

Suddenly, as if he could endure his solitude no longer, he rushed
to the door and threw it open, thereby nearly flinging himself
against Heliobas, who was entering the room at the same moment. He
drew back, ... stared wildly, and passing his hand across his
forehead confusedly, forced a laugh.

"I have been dreaming!" he said, ... then with a passionate
gesture he added, "God! if the dream were true!"

He was strongly excited, and Heliobas, slipping one arm round him
in a friendly manner, led him back to the chair he had vacated,
observing him closely as he did so.

"You call THIS dreaming," he inquired with a slight smile,
pointing to the table strewn with manuscript on which the ink was
not yet dry. "Then dreams are more productive than active
exertion! Here is goodly matter for printers! ... a fair result it
seems of one morning's labor!"