"This is Monday, Ben. Yesterday was the Sabbath. I hadn't thought of that till now, when you began asking me about the time. It was yesterday your fever broke for good. These three days have been a hundred years. I've had much time to think, when there was nothing else I could do--mind the fire, gather more wood, then either think or go mad, but I've not gone mad. I have not prayed, Ben, since before dawn on the Friday morning." "I don't know what I should say about that. Father said, just before he died--did you hear?--said that God is far away." "And Mother's last prayer was not answered. She prayed, 'Deliver us from evil.' And mine have never been answered." "But we can't know that." "I can't say that I know anything, anything at all, except that I'm here with you, and the air has turned warm, and the Bay Path road must be somewhere a mile or so over yonder, and tomorrow we shall try for Roxbury." "And that thou hast killed a wolf.... Ru, if I didn't see that carcass under my nose----" "I never lied to you. Oh--tales for your fancy now and then." "I know that. What did you do with the hide?" "Flung it out to the cannibals. The entrails too, and the head. They were delighted." "Puh! What's this part I'm eating now and enjoying so?" "Have you swallowed it, Mr. Cory?" "I have, and you needn't try to make me puke." "A puppy. She was carrying young--six. I had one whole, when you was still in the fever." "Ow-ooh!" "Oh, ay, your ears'll turn furry any day now. I say, Ben, when we're dirty-rich and famous, let's keep a few wolves on hand--you know, so to have roasted pups for guests of distinction." "Now you sound like yourself." "Do I?... Ben, I--something happened that night, Friday night." "What do you mean?" "I don't know whether I can tell it.... When I dragged the carcass to the fire I was crying like a fool, I don't know why. Sat there crying with her bloody head on my knees, some-way I couldn't make it seem she was only a piece of meat. Later I could, later it didn't matter. And then--well...." "What is it, Ru?" "I found my britches were wet. Nay, not what you think, and not her blood neither, though that's dried all over 'em and I declare we both smell like the Devil's own. Remember you told me how some time soon, whenever it happened, I'd be spending the seed?" "Oh--of course." "Ben, I didn't know it when it happened. It must have been the moment when I was killing her. I didn't know it could happen that way." "I didn't neither." "Is something wrong with me?" "No, no." "You see, I already knew how it feels. I did confess to you about that--long ago, remember? That was the time when you told me, about the change, and the seed." "Yes. Well, they say it's a sin to bring it on, but I think it must be venial, Ru, for Jesse said once that every man's vessels are alway in need of it. The dreams don't help. Nothing's wrong with you." "But why didn't I know it when it happened?"