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           TalkveeredfromtheHolyFather’sprecarioushealthtothecoldwarandthentheeconomicrecession,allfourmenspeakingandlisteningwithanalertnessJustinefoundabsorbing,beginningtogropeforthequalitiestheyshared,evenDane,whowassostrange,somuchanunknown.Hecontributedactively,anditwasn’tlostuponherthatthethreeoldermenlistenedtohimwithacurioushumility,almostasifheawedthem.Hiscommentswereneitheruninformednornaïve,buttheyweredifferent,original,holy.Wasitforhisholinesstheypaidsuchseriousattentiontohim?Thathepossessedit,andtheydidn’t?Wasittrulyavirtuetheyadmired,yearnedforthemselves?Wasitsorare?Threemensovastlydifferentonefromtheother,yetfarcloserboundtogetherthananyofthemweretoDane.HowdifficultitwastotakeDaneasseriouslyastheydid!Notthatinmanywayshehadn’tactedasanolderbrotherratherthanayounger;notthatshewasn’tawareofhiswisdom,hisintellectorhisholiness.Butuntilnowhehadbeenapartofherworld.Shehadtogetusedtothefactthathewasn’tanymore.

           "Ifyouwishtogostraighttoyourdevotions,Dane,I’llseeyoursisterbacktoherhotel,"commandedHerrRainerMoerlingHartheimwithoutconsultinganyone’swishesonthesubject.

           Andsoshefoundherselfwalkingtongue-tieddownthemarblestairsinthecompanyofthatsquat,powerfulman.OutsideintheyellowsheenofaRomansunsethetookherelbowandguidedherintoablackMercedeslimousine,itschauffeurstandingtoattention.