"  Brother,"  he  said,  "  you  are  not  the  first  to  come
here,  but  you  may  be  the  last  Go  back  to  the
plains,  and  tell  the  dwellers  in  the  plains  that  the
Temple  of  True  Knowledge  is  in  their  very  midst ;
any  one  may  enter  it  who  chooses ;  the  gates  are  not
even  closed.  The  temple  has  always  been  in  the
plains,  in  the  very  heart  of  life,  and  work,  and  daily
effort.  The  philosopher  may  enter,  the  stone-breaker
may  enter.  You  must  have  passed  it  every  day  of
your  life — a  plain,  venerable  building,  unlike  our
glorious  cathedrals."

"  I  have  seen  the  children  playing  near  it,"  said
the  Traveler.  "  When  I  was  a  child  I  used  to  play
there.  Ah !  if  I  had  only  known !  Well,  the  past
is  the  past"

He  would  have  rested  against  a  huge  stone,  but
that  the  old  white-haired  man  prevented  him.
"  Do  not  rest,"  he  said.    "  If  you  once  rest  there


NUMBER  TWENTY-TWO  163

you  will  not  rise  again.    When  you  once  rest,  you
will  know  how  weary  you  are."

"  I  have  no  wish  to  go  further,"  said  the  Traveler.
"My  journey  is  done;  it  may  have  been  in  the
wrong  direction,  but  still  it  is  done."

"Nay,  do  not  linger  here,"  urged  the  old  man.
