He had been in the Valley for some time when he suddenly heard his name spoken by a voice that made his heart beat, and he saw, standing on the very brink of the river, Gabrielle, but so altered that he hardly recognized her. Indeed, though she looked so pale and thin that he felt she must be very near the end of her journey, the expression of her face was so unlike that he had ever seen upon it that he was amazed; it reminded him of the light that he had noticed on the face of Heman as he passed to the Radiant City.
"You did not expect to meet me on the journey," she said, as he grasped her hands, "but Amer, when I saw you were in such dead earnest and would not give up the Radiant City or your King even for me, I felt there must be some truth in what others told me was a mere legend, and I could not rest till I had set out on the same journey."
"And Desmond?" asked Amer.
"I never married him," she answered, "how could I when once I had known you. When I told you I should, I said it out of pique, I never really intended to, though my father did all he could to persuade me. But I could not rest till I had passed through the East Gate. But oh! my journey has been so short! I have had such a little time in which to prove my loyalty to my King. Just a few short weeks! And now I have to cross the River. How can I be sure that the King will receive me after forgetting Him for so long? I feel the enemy Doubt is doing what he can to wrench my soul away from Him."
Amer looked at the River and noticed that across it lay the shadow of the Cross, as it had done during the passing of Heman.
"Dearest," he said, "you must get beneath the Cross, then Doubt will fly from you."
"Is it there for me?" she asked faintly.
"As much for you as for the warrior who for years has fought under the King's banner."
"Help me to get within its shadow," she pleaded: and Amer, putting his arm around her, gently moved her in its direction, and as she stood beneath its shadow, he saw a peace steal across her face.
"I think my feet have touched the brink," she whispered, "I wish, oh! I wish, you were coming too."