Page 70 - Fairbrass

nothing. His patient perseverance—just

as patient perseverance always is—had been
recompensed; and deaf, stone-deaf, though

he appeared to be, he had been rewarded
with the wonderful gift of being able to

read the thoughts of all who came to service
in the church in which, by night and day,

year after year, century after century, he
kept watch and ward.

£We1l,’ said the Kneeling Knight to
Fairbrass, * what is it ? I know that you

want to know something, and as the
swallow, who really must be stopped from

trying to build a nest between my nose and
my eh in, to Id me you could speak to me, and I

could speak to you, I thought I wTould ask
you to stop and have a chat with me.
Well, what can I do for you ? '

‘ I want to know,’ said Fairbrass— ‘ and

as you have attended so many hundreds
and hundreds of Church services, I don't
think I could ask a better person—wThether

religion is really any good to people.’

( What do you mean by religion ?’ asked