They ceased, but presently Paul's voice alone: "How those great words, which God the Holy Ghost Spake by the mouth of men of old, elect To be His earthly oracles--how they Fill yet the mouth of him that utters them, And fill the ear of him that hears them uttered, And the heart fill of him that makes them his-- Fill, and, enlarging ever, ever fill! They satisfy the soul, not as with food That sates the hunger, to cry out, 'Enough!' But as with hunger's self, and appetite That never ceases crying, 'More! And more!' Forever greater growing, and sweeter far Than could be any stay to such desire! According as the Lord Himself once spake Pronouncing blesséd those whose hunger is For righteousness, and promising to them Fulness. Fulness without satiety Their blesséd state! State blesséd, sure--to be If only with that heavenly hunger filled!" To Stephen half, but half in ecstasy Of pure abandonment to worshiping High passion and communion rapt above, Paul so his heart disburdened of its praise. "Yea," Stephen said, "it is a noble psalm, Triumphal in its gladness at escape Like thine from evil and from evil men. With all my heart I sang it thankfully-- At least, if joyfully be thankfully; Yet have _I_ thoughts not uttered through that psalm." The elder and the wiser well divined, From something in the manner of the speech Of Stephen, as too from the words themselves He spoke, what was the spirit of those thoughts Within him, which the chanted psalm left dumb. Paul safer judged it for his nephew's health Of heart and conscience, that the heat and stir Of natural thought untoward in him find Issue in utterance, than sealed shut to be. "And what, then, nephew, were those thoughts of thine?" In gentle serious question he inquired. "How is it, uncle," swerving, asked the youth-- For a fine tact to feel what other felt, Unspoken, unbetokened, though it were, Was Stephen's, and this power of sympathy Now gave him sobering sense of check from Paul-- "How is it, so thou deemest me meet to know, I never hear thee speak of Shimei?"