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know very well, by virtue of which Acté meant to put calm and healing into the hurt girl on the mattress. He said nothing, but bathed her head, and soon she opened her eyes and smiled at Acté; there was a cut on the corner of her mouth that kept on bleeding a little, but it was not deep and would not scar her. Then the girl began to twitch and look frightened, and tried to get up. Acté stopped her and said, ‘He will not get you. Keep quiet.’
    â€˜But when they hear—’ said the girl, her voice sticky with fear of her Madam.
    Acté said, ‘I will see to it. You know who I am.’
    â€˜Yes, Claudia Acté, we all know,’ said the girl simply, and Acté blushed and looked a little troubled, but after a time the girl began to fidget and cry again, though there were no bones broken.
    Acté laid one hand on her forehead and the other on her twitching fingers. ‘In the name of Jesus, rest,’ she said. And, as Acté bent over her, still and intent, the girl calmed down and shut her eyes. But Manasses, looking at Acté thought of her not as a Gentile woman, but as someone in the Kingdom, and he became full of excitement and a hot desire of worship, with her and towards her. He began under his breath to say the words, ‘Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name …’ and for the first time for many months they began to mean something again. He was saying them aloud now and Claudia Acté joined in, saying them almost the same and at the end she looked veryhappy and said, ‘I did not know you were one of us, brother. What is your name?’
    Manasses told her and said, ‘But I did not know that the Kingdom could happen in Rome. How did you come to it, Claudia Acté, seeing that you are a Greek?’
    â€˜But many Christians are Greeks,’ said Acté, ‘and a few, even, are Romans. Did you think it was only for the Jews? Are you from the Church at Jerusalem?’
    â€˜No,’ said Manasses, ‘I have never been as far as Jerusalem’—for Jerusalem had seemed a very long way from Beth Zanita when he was a child— ‘and why do you say Christians? ’
    â€˜Because Jesus was the Christ,’ she said, ‘the Redeemer. Surely you know that?’
    â€˜I know that the things He said were the truth,’ Manasses answered slowly, ‘and that He lived to show the truth.’
    â€˜And died to show the truth.’
    â€˜Because the rich would not let Him live. Because the things He said were against the rich and powerful.’
    â€˜Because He had to die the slave’s death to show that He was our brother as well as the Christ.’
    â€˜But what is it to you, Claudia Acté? He was one of us; we have always had prophets. But the Gentiles never heeded them.’
    â€˜He spoke for the world, for all who would take what He said. Why should you try to keep Him from me? Paul of Tarsus made it clear that He was for all!’
    â€˜Who is Paul of Tarsus?’
    â€˜He is a Jew, and it was he and Luke, who is a doctor and a Greek like me, who have been telling the rest of us what you would have kept for yourself, greedy boy.’
    â€˜I—I am sorry, Claudia Acté; I never thought the Kingdom could be for the Gentiles, and I have heard nothing since we were in Rome: Josias and I. But if you can heal and if—if—I mean, when you called me brother, Claudia Acté—then you are in the Kingdom and it was only that I did not understand.’
    Acté said, ‘Tomorrow is the Eighth Day and the breaking of bread. Will you come?’ Manasses only looked puzzled. She smiled and said, ‘Surely you know about the breakingof bread? No? Well then, you have not yet had real knowledge of the Kingdom. You have heard only half, Manasses. Are you baptised?’
    â€˜I was purified in running water when I was a child,’ said Manasses, and then he thought about all that had