"What was strange Then happened; for the demons prayed from Christ To be not wholly banished from the land. 'Send us,' they cried, 'into the swine'--for near Were feeding a great herd of swine--and Christ Gave them their whim to enter into them. Wherefore, I cannot tell; the Sadducees Among our people had no faith in spirits, Angels or demons; so it may have been To show it no mere foolish fancy vain, As they, the Sadducees, had taught it was, That there are wicked beings, other than we, Unseen and spiritual, errant in the world, And that these sometimes truly may invade The holy of holies of the human mind, That sanctuary meant for God's indwelling, And wrest it to their own foul purposes. No Sadducee I trow had Sadducee Remained, that saw that day the hideous rout Made when those swine, two thousand hoofs together, Rushed headlong down the lakeside precipice To perish in the waters; reason none, Save that the demons had gone into them. It was not sudden assault of epilepsy; "Those swine at least did not imagine it all!"-- Over the face of Mary speaking now A moment of sarcastic humor played-- "A woman herself possessed, then dispossessed, Of demon inhabitants, may be forgiven A little natural scorn to be assured That she was only shaken in her wits!" And Mary so recovered with a smile The sweet and holy candor of her face.
But now an interruption--for there came Rudely, from Felix sent, a minion who, With little Felix following him, to Paul Drew nigh and said: "My master bids thee come, For Simon whom he honors has fallen sick, And he would have thee heal him." Summons such Delivered in curt wise so insolent, Betrayed the master through the messenger. "Go tell thy master that I come," said Paul; "Go thou, but leave the lad to come with me."
So Paul took little Felix by the hand, He well-pleased equally to stay or go In that benign companionship, and went. But first Paul said: "Perhaps the afternoon Already is far spent enough, the cool And damp of evening will draw on apace; To-morrow, if God will--and Mary please-- Our hearing of her tale may be renewed."
They, thus dispersed, and slowly following, saw Paul like a guardian angel in the guise Of a serene old man and venerable Lead on the boy and heed his prattling talk. He had the ruffled spirits of his friends, Indignant all at Felix's affront, Composed with only his superior pure Detached Christ-like serenity and calm.