"Thou hast well spoken, for thou art the companion of the citizens of Heaven, and like Job and Tobit hast suffered all things meekly and with patience. I am Raphael, an angel of our Lord, who am come to show thee medicine for thy healing, for God hath heard thy prayers. Thou must bid Amile, thy comrade, to slay his two children with the sword, and wash thee in their blood, that thus thy body may become clean." Then Amis replied-- "This be far from me, that my comrade be blood-guilty for my health." But the angel said-- "It is meet that he should do this thing." On these words the angel departed from him. Now Amile also, in his sleep, had heard these words, and he awoke, and said-- "Comrade, who is this who hath spoken to thee?" And Amis answered that no man had spoken. "But I prayed our Lord, as is my wont." But Amile said-- "It is not thus, but some one hath spoken with thee." Then he rose from the bed, and went to the door of the chamber, and finding it fast, said-- "Tell me, fair brother, who hath said to thee these hidden words." Then Amis began to weep bitterly, and denied not that it was Raphael, the angel of our Lord, who had said to him, "Amis, our Lord sends word to thee that thou biddest Amile to slay his two children with the sword, and to wash thee in their blood, that thou mayest be clean of thy leprosy." And Amile was sorely distressed on hearing these words, and said-- "Amis, gladly have I given thee sergeant and damsel and all the riches that I had, and in fraud thou feignest that the angel hath bidden me to slay my two little ones with the sword." Then Amis broke out into weeping, and said-- "I know that I have told thee of a grievous matter, but not of mine own free will; I pray thee therefore that thou cast me not forth from thy house." And Amile answered him that the covenant he had made with him he would not depart from till the hour of death. "But I adjure thee by the faith between me and thee, and by our fellowship, and by the baptism given to us twain at Rome, that thou tell me truly whether it was man or angel who spoke to thee of this thing." And Amis made reply-- "So truly as the angel hath held converse with me this night, so may God make me clean of my infirmity." Then Amile began to weep privily, and to consider within his heart. "If this man was willing to die in my stead before the King, why then should I not slay mine own for him! He hath kept faith with me even unto death: shall I not therefore keep faith with him! Abraham was saved by faith, and by faith have the saints proved mightier than kings. Yea, God saith in the Gospel, 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do unto them.'"