His heart beat fast--and faster still when, searching himself, he found not a doubt either that the recital was true in every particular, or that the Child so miraculously found was the Messiah.

Marvelling much that Israel rested so dead to the revelation, and that he had never heard of it before that day, two questions presented themselves to him as centring all it was at that moment further desirable to know: Where was the Child then?
And what was his mission?
With apologies for the interruptions, he proceeded to draw out the opinions of Balthasar, who was in nowise loath to speak..