swer, and nothing was audible but the crackling of
torches and the breath which came in gasps from many chests.

"However, I still have an idea!" said the overseer.

The crowd of miners gathered closely around him again.

"You know that this mine is next to the old abandoned one. Is there
among you any one who has worked in it?"

"Only old Ivan."

"There is nothing to be done then. In the first place, he must have
forgotten everything; and secondly, one cannot extract a word from him."

During this time old Ivan, who seemed to have no idea that any one was
talking of him, was gazing intently into the deep darkness which filled
the gallery; he stood erect, his dim eyes were wide open, and a tremor
passed over his wrinkled face, the expression of which was constantly
changing from one moment to another, and betrayed now terror, now a kind
of joy, then surprise. Finally he put his hand before his eyes as though
they could not endure a dazzling splendour which issued from that
darkness.

"If he wished, he could get us out of this," said a miner. "He worked
for a long time in the old mine. But we cannot reckon on him; he is not
even able to speak. He has been silent for ten years."

Suddenly something startling and unexpected happened. Ivan had just
seized the miner who was nearest to him by the hand, and pointed into
the darkness. When the miner saw the dilated pupils of the old man's
eyes, he staggered with astonishment.

"Look at him! He is going mad!" they whispered.

"Here I am!" cried Ivan, as though answering a call.

The crowd fell back from him.

"Here I am! Here I am!" repeated Ivan.

The overseer approached him with his torch uplifted. Ivan turned his
face toward him radiant with an inner light.

"Look! There He is Jesus! It is sixty years since He came, and
now--there He is. He is calling us!"

"But what do you see? Who is calling us?"

"Jesus, I tell you. Stop! Look! There He is standing, in a white robe.
He signs to us to follow Him.... Here I am, Lord! Here I am!"

Suddenly, when no one was expecting it, old Ivan snatched the torch from
the overseer's hand, and held it above his head.

"Jesus will save us! I tell you He will save us all! Here I am, Lord, I
am coming! Behold Him, our Lord full of mercy. I am coming! Here I
am!..."

Then without looking round, or lowering the torch which he held aloft
with a firm hand, the old man, suddenly grown quite cheerful, walked
steadily towards th