Alice: An Adultery

He sank back contented. “ I have prayed to my god for many days,” he said, “ and by one of the least of my life’s miracles you are here ; worthy to receive my trust. For when I knew that I was to die, I destroyed all the papers which held the story of my life—all save one. That I saved ; the only noble passage, perhaps—among the many notable. Men will say that it is stained ; you, I think, should be wiser. It is the story of how the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. They were not drowned, you know (he seemed to lapse into a day dream), and they came out on the Land of Promise side. But they had to descend therein.” “ They all died in the wilderness,” I said, feeling as if I understood this mystical talk, which, indeed, I did not. But I felt inspired. “ Ay me, they died—as I am dying now.” He turned to the wall and sought a bundle of old writing on a shelf. “ Take this,” he said. “ Edit it as if it were your own : let the world know how wonderful it was.” I took the manu- script from the frail, white hand. viii