The words were new to Iddo, but the voice she recognized at once as that of Chisleu.
"Oh, how glad I am to see you," she cried, making her way towards him.
Chisleu turned upon her a face full of calm joy. There was such a change in it that had it not been for the voice she would hardly have recognized it. It was a gentle, chastened, yet radiant face.
"I did not know you sang," said Iddo.
"I have only lately learnt," he said, "I met these good people, and when I said I could not join them in their songs, they pointed out to me that as there was to be so much singing in the Radiant City it was as well to learn on the journey. And it is astonishing how it helps the journey, it seems another thing to me. And moreover I find it does not only make things easier, but in the Guide Book we are commanded to sing and be joyful. I never realized that before."
"Does the King then so much like us to sing that he has written about it in the Guide Book?" said Iddo.
"Yes, I find He has. I had no idea that it was my duty to be happy as well as my pleasure. But I find it written there,"
"'Rejoice evermore.' 'The joy of the Lord is your strength.' 'Is any merry? let him sing psalms.' I only wish I had known this before."
"Why?" asked Iddo.
"For two reasons. One reason being, that, as I say, it makes all the difference in the journey, as the enemy does not like to hear it and it keeps him away. There is nothing that baffles him more I believe than to hear the soldiers singing one of the songs of the Radiant City. And when I have an idea he is near and wants me to listen to him, I cry, 'May Jesus Christ be praised,' and he slinks away. He finds the gloomy soldier by far the easier prey, I fancy, than those who sing. Why it has been so all along."