He approached, his hand extended. "Right in believing, or right in mistrusting?" She gave him her hand, and he took it. "Don't put it that way," she said; "it isn't that way." "But, dear Jane, that's the only way to put it. It's the way you've been teaching us. Either we can look up and ahead confidently, or you're all wrong. I can't believe that you're ever even a little bit wrong, so I'm going to believe that it's all true." "No, no--it isn't--I mean--Oh, in my case, it can't be so. Everything that I said was true, only I myself am meant to--to work--not to--to marry. It's a kind of pledge I've taken to myself. It doesn't change the teaching." Then she dragged her hand free. Lorenzo smiled. "You can't tell me any of that. I know. I'm the happiest man in the world." Then he went on, taking up the rake and scratching a little here and there: "Like other pupils, I've surpassed my teacher. You've preached, and I practice; you can describe God's thoughts, and I think them. You're sure that He can do anything, and I know what He's going to do. I've been let straight into one of His secrets. It's been revealed to me how the world is run." Jane stared. "How can you talk so?" "I talk so because I know so. Everything's coming right for you." "You're crazy," she tried to laugh. "I've heard people say that of you. Not that it matters." She stood watching him and considering his words. "I wouldn't let you give me the money to straighten out my father's affairs, even if you were ever so rich, you know," she said slowly. "I couldn't." "I know it." "And I wouldn't let Auntie pay the debts." "I know. God doesn't require either your aunt's help or mine in this matter." Jane's eyes moistened slightly. "Please don't make a joke of anything so hard and sad." "I'm not joking; I'm a veritable apostle of joy. I'm as happy as I can be." She looked at him with real wonder because his appearance certainly bore out his words. "I wish that I knew what you meant." He dropped the rake, came to her side, and caught her hand. "Can't you trust God--can't you trust me?--won't you try?" She looked up into his face. "I wish that I could, but how can I?" "You ought to know. So deep and big and true a nature. Surely you ought to be able to understand your own teaching!" "But I can't see any way." "Your book says that one must not think of ways; one must just look straight to the good end." "Oh, but there isn't any such end possible for me." Lorenzo dropped her hand and laughed out loud. And then he caught her in his arms and kissed her. She screamed. To her it was the greatest shock of her life, for no man had ever kissed her before. "Oh--oh, mercy!" Matters were not helped much by Susan's looking over the fence just then and crying out abruptly: "Well, I declare!"