n his hand,
and it had no beauty and no colour; and the elder son looked upon it
scornfully and shook his head; and he went away, for it seemed a small
affair to him.

All that day he rode, and his mind was quiet, and the desire of the chase
allayed. "How if this poor pebble be the touchstone, after all?" said
he: and he got down from his horse, and emptied forth his wallet by the
side of the way. Now, in the light of each other, all the touchstones
lost their hue and fire, and withered like stars at morning; but in the
light of the pebble, their beauty remained, only the pebble was the most
bright. And the elder son smote upon his brow. "How if this be the
truth?" he cried, "that all are a little true?" And he took the pebble,
and turned its light upon the heavens, and they deepened about him like
the pit; and he turned it on the hills, and the hills were cold and
rugged, but life ran in their sides so that his own life bounded; and he
turned it on the dust, and he beheld the dust with joy and terror; and he
turned it on himself, and kneeled down and prayed.

"Now, thanks be to God," said the elder son, "I have found the
touchstone; and now I may turn my reins, and ride home to the King and to
the maid of the dun that makes my mouth to sing and my heart enlarge."

Now when he came to the dun, he saw children playing by the gate where
the King had met him in the old days; and this stayed his pleasure, for
he thought in his heart, "It is here my children should be playing". And
when he came into the hall, there was his brother on the high seat and
the maid beside him; and at that his anger rose, for he thought in his
heart, "It is I that should be sitting there, and the maid beside me".

"Who are you?" said his brother. "And what make you in the dun?"

"I am your elder brother," he replied. "And I am come to marry the maid,
for I have brought the touchstone of truth."

Then the younger brother laughed aloud. "Why," said he, "I found the
touchstone years ago, and married the maid, and there are our children
playing at the gate."

Now at this the elder brother grew as gray as the dawn. "I pray you have
dealt justly," said he, "for I perceive my life is lost."

"Justly?" quoth the younger brother. "It becomes you ill, that are a
restless man and a runagate, to doubt my justice, or the King my
father's, that are sedentary folk and known in the land."

"Nay," said the elder brother, "you have all else, hav