ot know why I should stumble over it when St. John is a
common enough name," answered Carrington, who generally did his
thinking aloud.

"No end?" repeated the little Sister inquiringly. "But there is an end
in this evil world to all things."

"Never mind what he says, senora," interrupted Keith, "but step out
strongly and firmly, and throw back your head. There now, there are no
crabs in sight, and the beach is hard as a floor. Try it with me: one,
two; one, two."

So they treated her, partly as a child, partly as a gentle being of an
inferior race. It was a new amusement, although rather a mild one,
Carrington said, to instruct this unformed, timid mind, to open the
blinded eyes, and train the ignorant ears to listen to the melodies of
nature.

"Do you not hear? It is like the roll of a grand organ," said Keith as
they sat on the doorstep one evening at sunset. The sky was dark; the
wind had blown all day from the north to the south, and frightened the
little Sister as she toiled at her lace work, made on a cushion in the
Spanish fashion, her lips mechanically repeating prayers meanwhile; for
never had they such winds at the inland convent, embowered in its
orange trees. Now, as the deep, low roll of the waves sounded on the
shore, Keith, who was listening to it with silent enjoyment, happened
to look up and catch the pale, repressed nervousness of her face.

"Oh, not like an organ," she murmured. "This is a fearful sound; but an
organ is sweet--soft and sweet. When Sister Teresa plays the evening
hymn it is like the sighing of angels."

"But your organ is probably small, senora."

"We have not thought it small. It remains in our chapel, by the window
of arches, and below we walk, at the hour of meditation, from the lime
tree to the white rose bush, and back again, while the music sounds
above. We have not thought it small, but large--yes, very large."

"Four feet long probably," said Carrington, who was smoking an evening
pipe, now listening to the talk awhile, now watching the movements of
two white heron who were promenading down the beach. "I saw the one
over in the village church. It was about as long as this step."

"Yes," said the Sister, surveying the step, "it is about as long as
that. It is a very large organ."

"Walk with me down to the point," said Keith--"just once and back
again."

The docile little Sister obeyed; she always did immediately whatever
they told her to do.

"I want you to li