"Well, have it your way, John; go on." "You, Lena, began to talk about--you see, I did not know you then as I do now." "Go right on, John, or I shall have a kaniption." "Yes, you began to talk about people getting married young, very young, and sometimes, when there were objections, people ran away together. Then we told our ages, and it turned out that you were one day older than I, when you sprang to your feet and said: 'There, John, the jig is up, for I positively will not marry a man younger than myself!'" "And you began to cry." "No, Lena, I did not." "What did you do?" "Oh, not much." "Much; you dared me to--" "No, you dared me." "No, you dared me, John." "Now, Lena, you dared me to kiss you and I did." "Then I suppose you went right home and told your mother." "Told mother; I should say not. You made me promise never to tell. Why, Lena, are you in pain?" "Only my heart, John--Oh, if Ruth was here." The frail creature half closed her eyes, her lips parted, and John thought she was going, but when he called Nicodemus she opened them again and smiled and told Nicodemus to go to his rest. After a few moments she seemed to come back again and said, "Oh, John, is Heaven really so near?" Then she seemed to become a child again, and said, "Tell me something inspiring; it rests me. Do not weep, John; you promised to be brave; now go on and tell me about Pipe and his dog. Tell it just as though you were telling it to someone else and I was not listening." John hesitated, wiped away the tears, kissed her cold cheek and when she insisted, began, "Mary Magdalene came over from Nazareth when she was twelve years old, and by the time she was fifteen she had become the most notorious maid that graced the west shore of Galilee. She had staunch friends, who would go through fire and water to protect her--" "And you were one?" "Certainly I was, for she was pretty, neat, witty and wonderful in a case of emergency. She made some enemies; for while nothing was too good for those she loved, so there was no letup on her dislikes." "Why did so many hate her, John?" "Oh, she was well dressed and attractive, which was more than her female companions could stand; and then, while she was upright and generous, she was reserved and often imprudent, to that extent that when irritated she bridled not her tongue." "Not even for you?" "Oh, I was an exception." "So you were, John; go on." "Old Pipe the potter had, besides a large family of children, a white pet dog, and for a joke this maid from Nazareth formed a compact with one John, the brother of James--" "Where is that John now?"