'Listen to the moans! So short and feeble! They will soon be stilled. But do not look so terrified, Johannes, the sooner it is ended, the better. There could be no long walks now, no more seeking for violets together. With whom has he wandered these two years, do you think, while you were away? You can never ask him now. You can never know. If you had known me a little earlier you would not look so wretched now. You are a long way yet from being what you must become. Do you think that Doctor Cypher in your place would look as you do? It would sadden him no more than it does the cat blinking there in the sunshine. And it is best so. Of what use is brooding sorrow? Have the flowers learnt to grieve? They do not mourn if one of them is plucked. Is not that far happier? They know nothing, and that is why they are thus content. You have begun to know something; now you must learn everything to become happy. I alone can teach you. All, or nothing. 'Listen to me. What is there remarkable in your father's case? It is the death of a man--that is a common occurrence. Now do you hear the gasping? Weaker still! It must be very near the end!' Johannes looked at the bed in agonised fear. Simon the cat jumped down from the window-sill, stretched himself, and then, still purring, lay down on the bed by the dying man. The poor weak head moved no longer; it lay still, sunk in the pillows, but the short, dull panting still came through the half-open mouth. It grew weaker and weaker till it was scarcely audible. Then Death took his hollow eyes off the clock and looked at the weary head; he raised his hand. Then all was still. A grey shadow fell on the rigid features. Silence, oppressive, unbroken silence! Johannes sat and sat, waiting. But the regular sound was heard no more. All was still--a great, murmuring stillness. The tension of the last hours of listening was over, and to Johannes it seemed that his soul had been let fall down into black and bottomless space. Deeper and deeper he fell. All about him grew darker and more silent. Then he heard Pluizer's voice as if it were a long way off. 'There! That tale is told.' 'That is well,' said Doctor Cypher. 'Now you can see what was wrong with him. I leave that to you. I must be off.' Still, as if half-dreaming, Johannes saw the gleam of bright knives. The cat set her back up. It was cold by the corpse, and she returned to the sunshine. Johannes saw Pluizer take a knife, which he examined carefully, and then went up to the bed. Then he shook off his lethargy. Before Pluizer could get to the bed he stood in front of him. 'What do you want?' he asked. His eyes were wide open with horror. 'We must see what he died of,' said Pluizer. 'No,' said Johannes, and his voice was as deep as a man's. 'What is the meaning of this?' said Pluizer, with a glare of rage. 'Can you hinder me? Do you not know how strong I am?'