“Undoubtedly. It has been offered to others before, but they could see no merit in it. I think even once it was offered as a sacrifice, but that would have been a very unpleasant thing, for earth has a generous heart. But we in heaven can afford to be cruel, selfish, jealous of our power and influence, vindictive when ill-pleased, anything, everything, so long as in the end we get our way, thus turning the ill-wind into fair, to please an intellect that cannot comprehend us.” “You speak in riddles.” “The language of spirits and of God, who never yet spoke plainly, in order to have the after-pleasure of upbraiding those dull pupils who could not understand.” Whilst we had been speaking Sunbeam and Virginius had been much engrossed at the further end of the room, for on leaving the tea-table we had come to one which seemed much generally used. She was showing him a very dainty pair of slippers, and they were admiring them together. “I finished the embroidery this afternoon when Genius fell asleep the second time. To-night I’m going to put the soles on. They are all pricked ready for sewing.” “And when they are finished, what then?” “Mother said you would take them with you to the earth, to fit on the tired feet of some poor dancer she had heard about. It’s like this, you see, father. When you put them on at first they will hurt more and more, till they get right on, and then they will fit so beautifully that the pain will be forgotten, and they will bring lightness and joy, and even happiness, instead of heaviness and sorrow.” “And my task is to get a certain dancer to wear them?” She glanced at him and scanned his face earnestly. “Yes,” she replied. “And in case I fail?” “Then they’ll have to come back again, just as all the other things do. The other day Moonbeam’s father came home for a little while, and he brought a very wonderful pair of spectacles which he said a friend of his, an optician who lived in our great city, had given him. He let both of us look through them, and when you looked through them you could see on to the earth. At the place where he let us look there was what they call a Rummage Sale going on, and a great many women were buying rubbish, real rubbish from other women, who took their money quite cheerfully and persuaded them to buy still more. And just outside the building where it was being held there was another stall, and it was covered with the most precious things, as we esteem them, that wealth could buy. But no one ever touched it or went near to take anything, and Moonbeam’s father said perhaps they were too honest, as they hadn’t the right kind of wealth to purchase with.” “It was rather a sad scene to show you,” said Virginius, “but still a very true one.” “Moonbeam’s father explained it very thoughtfully and kindly to them,” observed our mother to me. “The Rummage Sale was a large Charity bazaar, and the honesty he gave them credit for was blindness of heart, which changes into hardness.”