aid I, 'you've eased my soul of the curiosity that has
been vexing it for twenty-four hours. Your voice told you were
English; but there was something in it besides--something almost
rubbed out, if I may say so, by your training for the ministry.
I was wondering what part of England you hailed from, and I meant to
find out without asking. You'll observe that as yet I don't even
know your name. But Cornwall's your birthplace.'

"'I suppose,' he answered, smiling, 'you've only heard me called
'the Bishop.' Yes, you're quite right. I come from the north of
Cornwall--from Port Isaac; and my name's Penno--John Penno.
I used to be laughed at for it at the Training College, and for my
Cornish talk. They said it would be a hindrance to me in the
ministry, so I worked hard to overcome it.'

"'I know Port Isaac. At least, I once spent a couple of days there.'

"'Ah?' He turned on me eagerly--with a sob, almost. 'You will have
seen my folks, maybe? My father's a fisherman there--Hezekiah
Penno--Old Ki, he's always called: everyone knows him.'

"I shook my head. 'The only fisherman I knew at all was called
Tregay. He took me out after the pollack one day in his boat, the
_Little Mercy_.'

"'That will be my mother's brother Israel. He named the boat after a
sister of mine. She's grown up now and married, and settled at St.
Columb. This is wonderful! And how was Israel wearing when you saw
him?'

"'You have later news of him than I can give. I am speaking of ten
years ago.'

"His face fell pathetically; but he contrived a rueful little laugh
as he answered: 'And I must have been a boy of nine at the time, and
playing about Portissick Street, no doubt! Never mind. It's good,
anyway, to speak of home to you; for you've _seen_ it, you know!'

"He said this with his eyes fixed on the flashing mountain; and, as
he finished, he sighed."

"During the next three or four days--for a relapse followed his
rally, and he had to give up all thought of departing immediately--I
talked much with the Bishop; and I think that each talk added to my
respect and wonder. In the first place, though I had read in a good
many poetry books of maidens who walked through all manner of
deadliness unhurt--Una and the lion, you know, and the rest of them--
I hadn't imagined that kind or amount of innocence in a young man.
But what startled me even more was the size of his ambitions.
'Bishop'--_in partibus infidelium_ with a vengeanc