Therefore--do you understand me ?--you must question the cords now, to-night, for to-morrow evening what they advised might be too late." "Now ?" repeated Tabus in surprise, letting her gaze rest inquiringly upon the girl.

Then she took the spit from the fire, exclaiming angrily: "Directly, do you mean?
As if that could be! As if the stars obeyed us mortals like maids or men servants! The moon must be at the full to learn the truth from the cords.

Wait, child! What is life but waiting?
Only have patience, girl! True, few know how to practise this art at your age, and it is alien to many all their lives.

But the stars! From them, the least and the greatest, man can learn to go his way patiently, year by year.

Always the same course and the same pace.