XLII.

It was only a thought,
someday I will bring the other

and he placed his jar
on the floor of the ox-stall;

Balthasar had offered the spikenard,
Melchior, the rings of gold;

they were both older than Kaspar
so he stood aside as if his gift a little apart,
(as if his gift were an after-thought,
not to be compared with the others;)

had not been compared with the others;

when Balthasar pushed open the stable-door
or gate, a shepherd was standing there,

well-a sort of shepherd, an older man,
perhaps the foreman or a superintendent

perhaps the head-shepherd or a sort of night-watchman,

as Balthazar hesitated, he said, "Sir,
I am afraid there is no room at the Inn,"

as if to save them the trouble of coming further,
as if Balthasar had mistaken the place,

or inquiring perhaps as to possible
was looking in to supervise the bedding-down
of his valuable beasts;

but Balthasar acknowledged the gentle courtesy of the man,
but Balthazar entered the ox-stall
had gone

and Balthazar touched his forehead and his breast,
as he did at the High Priest's side

before the Holy-Presence-Manifest,
and Balthasar spoke the Great Word

and Balthasar bowed as if the weight of this honour
bowed him down, as if over-come by this overwhelming Grace,

and Balthasar stepped aside
and Melchior took his place.