Then Harebell grew serious.
"Do you know the old woman who lives there? Let's go and see her."
"No, no, I bain't acquainted, I couldn't make so free of her door!"
Harebell was silent; then suddenly her eyes glowed.
"Oh, Tom! Of course there's a better way for you. The door reminds me—you must get through the Door of the Kingdom, and then you'll belong to God, and He will help you. God can do anything, you know."
Tom looked at her in a puzzled sort of way.
Then Harebell began her explanation:
"It's like this," she said, "there's a Door we can't see, but it's wide open and it leads into God's Kingdom. We've all got to go through it. Your sister knows about it, for she told me—and I think I'm through. If you're through you're a subjec'—a King's subjec'—and no King's subjec' could ever get drunk—it would be so disgraceful, wouldn't it? You just walk through, Tom—now at once, where you are—it doesn't take any time."
"I don't know what you be driving at!" said Tom. "What door?"
Harebell bent her head and whispered: