“Yes,—­Christ,” murmured the girl, who had never questioned about such things before, and to whose lips the holy name had been strange, unsuitable, impossible; but whose soul, smitten with its sin and need, broke through the wretched outward hinderance now, and had to cry up after the only Hope.

“But He could not forgive my letting them die.  I have been reading the New Testament, Mr. Vireo, ’Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, it were better for him that a millstone”—­

She could not finish the quotation.

“Yes,—­’offend;’ turn aside out of the right—­away from Him; mislead.  Hurt their souls, Marion.”

Marion gave a grasping look into his face.  Her eyes seized the comfort,—­snatched it with a starving madness out of his.

“Do you think it means that?” she said.

“I do.  I know the word ‘offend’ means simply to ‘turn away.’  We may sin against each other’s outward good, grievously; we may lay up lives full of regrets to bear; we may hurt, we may kill; and then we must repent according to our sin; but we may repent, and they and He will pity.  It is the soul-killers—­the corrupters—­Christ so terribly condemns.”

“But listen to me, Marion,” he began again.  “God let his Christ die—­suffer—­for the whole world.  Christ lets them whom he counts worthy, die—­suffer—­for their world.  The Lamb is forever slain; the sacrifice of the holy is forever making.  It is so that they come to walk in white with Him; because they have washed their robes in his blood—­have partaken of his sacrifice.  Do you not think they are glad now, with his joy, to have given themselves for you; if it brings you back?  ‘If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.’  He who knew how to lay hold of the one great heart of humanity by a divine act, knows how to give his own work to those who can draw the single cords, and save with love the single souls.  They must suffer, that they may also reign with Him.  It is his gift to them and to you.  Will you take your part of it, and make theirs perfect?  ’Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.  Ye believe in me, believe also in these.’”

“But I want to come where they are.  I want to love and do for them; do something for them in heaven, Mr. Vireo, that I did not do here!  Can I ever have my chances given back again?”

“You have them now.  Go and do something for ‘the least of these.’  That is how we work for our Christs who have been lifted up.  Do their errands; enter into the sacrifice with them; be a link yourself in the divine chain, and feel the joy and the life of it.  The moment you give yourself, you shall feel that.  You shall know that you are joined to them.  You need not wait to go to heaven.  You can be in heaven.”

He left her with that to think of; left her with a new peace in her eyes.  She looked round that hour for something to do.