"You said once this afternoon, that for years it had been a hell on earth for you--a strong expression to fall from a young woman's lips; and I said nothing. Sometime, perhaps, you will see things differently. But if I said nothing, it was only because I thought the more; for just as you spoke those words, my eye caught the glitter of this piece of granite in the firelight, and I said to myself--'that is like what Aileen's life will be, and through her life what her character will prove to be.' This stone has been crushed, subjected to unimaginable heat, upheaved, submerged, ground again to powder, remelted, overwhelmed, made adamant, rent, upheaved again,--and now, after aeons, it lies here so near the blue above our Flamsted Hills, worthy to be used and put to all noble uses; fittest in all the world for foundation stone--for it is the foundation rock of our earth crust--for all lasting memorials of great deed and noble thought; for all temples and holies of holies. Take it, Aileen, and--remember!" "I will, oh, I will; and I'll try to fit myself, too; I'll try, dear, dear Father Honore," she said humbly, gratefully. He held out his hand and she placed hers in it. He opened the door. "Good night, Aileen, and God bless you." "Good night, Father Honore." She went out into the clear winter starlight. The piece of granite, she held tightly clasped in her hand. * * * * * The priest, after closing the door, went to the pine table and opening a drawer took out a letter. It bore a recent date. It was from the chaplain of the prison and informed him there was a strong prospect of release for Champney Googe at least three months before the end of his term. Father Honore smiled to himself. He refolded it and laid it in the drawer. III Early in the following March, on the arrival of the 3 P.M. train from Hallsport, there was the usual crowd at The Corners' station to meet it. They watched the passengers as they left the train and commented freely on one and another known to them. "I'll bet that's the new boss at the upper quarries," said one, pointing to a short thickset man making his way up the platform. "Yes, that's him; and they're taking on a gang of new men with him; they're in the last car--there they come! There's going to be a regular spring freshet of 'em coming along now--the business is booming." They scanned the men closely as they passed, between twenty and thirty of them of various nationalities. They were gesticulating wildly, vociferating loudly, shouldering bundle, knapsack or tool-kit. Behind them came a few stone-cutters, mostly Scotch and Irish. The last to leave the train was evidently an American.