"'The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. "'I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, . . . and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? "'The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared. The Lord of hosts is His name. "'And I have put My words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of Mine hand.'" Then Alexis turned the leaves to the New Testament, and read again— "'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: "'By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. "'And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; "'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.'" Over the faces of the women there stole an expression of placid resignation. The men looked at one another with exultation in their eyes. What were these light afflictions compared with the glory that would follow? CHAPTER XXVI THE END OF THE JOURNEY THEY expected their release every day. The band of exiles who had marched together for so many months was broken up, and scattered to various places of exile, excepting those criminals who were sentenced to the mines. But the Stundists seemed to be overlooked. Demyan was aware of their arrival, and sent in messages of welcome. He had already provided a shelter for them, and obtained promises of work in Irkutsk. At last one morning they were summoned to the prison-yard, where a party was being made up for the Kara Mines. Was it possible that they were doomed to that place of horrors? The men were again chained to other prisoners, with leg-fetters; the women and children were placed in telegas; and once more, over ground frozen many feet deep, and with the thermometer, even at noonday, several degrees below zero, they set out on their dreary march, uncertain now what their destination might be.