"I didn't know," said Fanny, hesitating, "as that was so. How did you find it out?"
"The Spirit of the Lord revealed it unto me, child."
"What is the Spirit?" said Fanny, who felt more encouraged, as she saw Dred stroking a squirrel.
"It's the Spirit that spoke in the old prophets," he said.
"Did it tell you what the birds say?"
"I am not perfected in holiness yet, and cannot receive it. But the birds fly up near the heavens, wherefore they learn droppings of the speech of angels. I never kill the birds, because the Lord hath set them between us and the angels for a sign."
"What else did the Spirit tell you?" said Teddy.
"He showed me that there was a language in the leaves," said Dred. "For I rose and looked, and, behold, there were signs drawn on the leaves, and forms of every living thing, with strange words, which the wicked understand not, but the elect shall read them. And, behold, the signs are in blood, which is the blood of the Lamb, that descendeth like dew from heaven."
Fanny looked puzzled. "Who are the elect?" she said.