I came to him and, kneeling before him, kissed his hand, and he blessed me.
"Look up, my son," he said, "let my old eyes gaze upon thy face, that I may read thy heart." So I lifted up my head, and he looked upon me long and earnestly.
"I read thee," he said at length; "thou art pure and strong in wisdom; I have not been deceived in thee.

Oh, the years have been lonely; but I did well to send thee hence.

Now, tell me of thy life; for thy letters have told me little, and thou canst not know, my son, how hungry is a father's heart." And so I told him; we sat far into the night and talked together.

And in the end he bade me know that I must now prepare to be initiated into those last mysteries that are learned of the chosen of the Gods.
And so it came about that for a space of three months I prepared myself according to the holy customs.

I ate no meat.