He sat listening with all the concentration and rapt attention of a child intent upon a fairy tale. She said, as though speaking to herself: "You should see and hear the myriads of birds that have 'died'! The sky is full of their voices and their wings.... Everywhere--everywhere the lesser children live,--those long dead of inhumanity or of that crude and temporary code which we call the law of nature. All has been made up to them--whatever of cruelty and pain they suffered--whatever rigour of the 'natural' law in that chain of destruction which we call the struggle for existence.... For there is only one real law, and it rules all of space that we can see, and more of it than we can even imagine.... It is the law of absolute justice." The old man nodded: "Do you believe that?" She looked up at him dreamily: "Yes; I believe it. Or I should not have said it." "Has anybody ever told you this?" "No.... I never even thought about it until this moment while listening to my own words."... She lifted one hand and rested it against her forehead: "I cannot seem to think of your grandchildren's names.... Don't tell me." She remained so for a few moments, motionless, then with a graceful gesture and a shake of her pretty head: "No, I can't think of their names. Do you suppose I could find them in the crystal?" "Try," he said tremulously. She bent forward, resting both elbows on the table and framing her lovely face in her hands. Deep into the scintillating crystal her blue gaze plunged; and for a few moments she saw nothing. Then, almost imperceptibly, faint hues and rainbow tints grew in the brilliant and transparent sphere--gathered, took shape as she watched, became coherent and logical and clear and real. She said in a low voice, still watching intently: "Blue sky, green trees, a snowy shore, and little azure wavelets.... Two children bare-legged, playing in the sand.... A little girl--so pretty!--with her brown eyes and brown curls.... And the boy is her brother I think.... Oh, certainly.... And what a splendid time they are having with their sand-fort!... There's a little dog, too. They are calling him, 'Snippy! Snippy! Snippy!' How he barks at the waves! And now he has seized the little girl's doll! They are running after him, chasing him along the sands! Oh, how funny they are!--and what a glorious time they are having.... The puppy has dropped the doll.... The doll's name is Augusta.... Now the little girl has seated herself cross-legged on the sand and she is cradling the doll and singing to it--such a sweet, clear, happy little voice.... She is singing something about cherry pie--Oh!--now I can hear every word: "Cherry pie, Cherry pie, You shall have some bye and bye. Bye and Bye Bye and Bye You and I shall have a pie, Cherry pie Cherry pie--