'Except to be food for them,' said Esther.
'Ah! Well,—leaving that,—I should never have thought about the partridge berries in that motto, and my mother would never have thought of it. For all that, you are right. What shall we do? take 'em down?'
'Oh, no, they look so pretty. And besides, I suppose, Pitt, by and by, poison itself will turn to peace.'
'What?' said Pitt. 'What is that? What can you mean, Queen Esther?'
'Only,' said Esther a little doubtfully, 'I was thinking. You know, when the time comes there will be nothing to hurt or destroy in all the earth; the wild beasts will not be wild, and so I suppose poison will not be poison.'
'The wild beasts will not be wild? What will they be, then?'
'Tame.'
'Where did you get that idea?'
'It is in the Bible. It is not an idea.'
'Are you sure?'