By this time Mistress Harpham was leaning anxiously over the children’s shoulders, for she knew that Giles in the character of Isaac was waiting to come on to the stage. All the guests were also very excited and full of expectation. “It’s well that the boy acts with so good a man as Master Eliott!” exclaimed a woman who stood close to her hostess. “Aye! John Eliott is a rare good player!” answered Mistress Harpham nervously. “We’ve never had a better ‘Abraham’ than he makes, and he’s taken such pains with Giles too, teaching him and training him for the part.” “There he is! There he is!” cried Margery, as a pretty, delicate little figure in a linen tunic entered. “Oh! _doesn’t_ he look nice!” And indeed, with his fair curly hair and sweet face, Giles made quite a touching little Isaac. “Hush! Hush! Abraham is speaking,” Master Gyseburn reminded her. “Make thee ready, my darling,” he was saying in a voice which made Margery feel as though she wanted to cry: “Make thee ready, my darling, For we must do a little thing; This wood upon thy back you bring, We must not long abide. A sword and fire I will take, For sacrifice I must make; God’s bidding will I not forsake, But ay obedient be.” There was a deep silence in the crowd, as speaking in a very clear, gentle voice, Isaac made reply: “Father, I am all ready To do your bidding meekly; To bear this wood full bound am I As you command me.” Abraham then in trembling tone gave a blessing to his son, whose look of bewilderment and growing fear brought tears to the eyes of some of the women at the window. Then, after the old man had bound the wood on the boy’s back, he was suddenly overcome with misery. “Oh! my heart will break in three, To hear thy words I have pity,” he exclaimed. But the cry of despair was immediately followed by “As thou wilt, Lord, so must it be.” Still wondering and afraid, Isaac spoke: “Are you anything adread? (he asked) Father, if it be your will, Where is the beast that we shall kill?” And when Abraham told him that he saw no animal at all, the boy went on in a shaking voice: “Father, I am full sore afraid To see you bare this naked sword. I hope for all middle-yard [instead of any creature from the farmyard], You will not slay your child?” Then the father, who could not bear to detect the fear in his boy’s voice, tried to comfort him by saying that the Lord would surely provide some beast that might be slain for the sacrifice. But Isaac was not satisfied. He begged the old man to tell him whether any evil would happen to him, and at the entreaty Abraham could no longer hide his terrible grief, but broke into wild words. “Ah, dear God, that me is woe! Thou bursts my heart in sunder,” he exclaimed, wringing his hands; and finally, when Isaac again implored him to hide nothing from him, he told the dreadful truth. “O Isaac, Isaac, I must thee kill!” he cried.