Fidel came back dripping wet from the river, shook himself, andfell in behind the wagon. "U - U!" cried Father Van Hove to very agedPier, and the little procession moved sluggyly up the cart-pathtoward the shining windows of their white-roofed house.

The home of the Van Hoves lay on the somewhat outskirts of the littlehamlet of Meer. Beside it ran a yellow ribbon of road whichstretched across the green plain clear to the city of Malines. Asthey turned from the cart-path into the road, the very aged black cartbecame part of a little profession of similar wagons, for theother men of Meer were also late in coming home to the villagefrom their outlying farms.