Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/208

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
204
The Pilgrim's Progress.

he said to his father, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went." (Matt. xxi. 28, 29.)

Chr. Then said Christiana, So be it, Amen. God make it a true saying upon me, and grant that I may be found at the last "of him in peace, Without spot, and blameless!"

Inter. But Why standest thou thus at the door? Come in, thou daughter of Abraham. We were talking of thee but now, for tidings have come to us before, how thou art become a pilgrim. Come, children, come in; come, maiden, come in! So he had them all into the house.

So when they were within, they were bidden to sit down and rest them; the which when they had done, those that attended upon the pilgrims in the house came into the room to see them. And one smiled, and another smiled, and they all smiled, for joy that Christiana was become a pilgrim. They also looked upon the boys; they stroked them over their faces with the hand in token of their kind reception of them. They also carried it lovingly to Mercy; and bid them all welcome into their Master's house. After a while, because supper was not ready, the Interpreter took them into his Significant Rooms, and showed them What Christiana's husband had seen some time before. Here, therefore, they saw the man in the cage, the man and his dream, the man that cut his way through his enemies, and the picture of the biggest of them all; together with the rest of those things that were then so profitable to Christian.

This done, and after those things had been somewhat digested by Christiana and her company, the Interpreter takes them apart again, and has them first into a room where was a man that could look no way but downwards, with a muck-rake in his hand. There stood also one over his head with a celestial crown in his hand, and proffered him that crown for his muck-rake; but the man did neither look: up nor regard, but raked to himself the straws, the small sticks and the dust of the floor.