“Yes, yes! In the name of God, yes! Lead me as a child, for I’m nothing more.”
The knight was in the throes of transformation. He and the priest walked side by side, mostly in silence, broken anon, only by questions of Sir Charleroy’s, like these:
“Am I worth saving? Shall I ever become able to fully sound and truly express, in life, the depths of all thou hast told me? And Rizpah! what will Rizpah say or do?”
The old priest answered ever:
“‘Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ Himself shall give thee light!’”
The lone burial cave was reached. Nigh the two biers stood Rizpah and Miriamne and but a little way off Sir Charleroy and the priest. The maiden, with surprised joy, saw the two men, but Rizpah, busy with her thoughts, never lifted her eyes. The latter drew a slab away from the entrance of the tomb and then moaned: “Better I’d never been a mother.”
Father Adolphus seized the opportunity to say in deep, entreating tones:
“‘I will ransom them from the power of the grave: I will redeem them from death.’”
The mother supposing it was some kindly neighbor, still unnoticing any thing but the speaker’s voice, moaned on, sitting nigh the tomb-door, between the dead, a hand on each.