Derry looked at his watch. It was after twelve. The servants were all
demoralized. "See here," he said, "you sit still for a moment, and
I'll go down for your tray."

He brought it up himself, presently, bread and milk and fruit.

They sat on the oasis and ate, with the patient purple camels grouped
in the shade of the jonquil palm.

Then Derry asked, "Shall I tell you the story of How the Purple Camels
Came to Paradise?"

"Yes," they said, and he gathered little Margaret-Mary into his arms,
and Teddy lay flat on the floor and looked up at him, while Derry made
his difficult way towards the thing he had to tell.

"You see, the purple camels belonged to the Three Wise Men, the ones
who journeyed, after the Star--do you remember? And found the little
baby who was the Christ? And because the purple camels had followed
the Star, the good Lord said to them, 'Some day you shall journey
towards Paradise, and there you shall see the shining souls that dwell
in happiness.'"

"Do their souls really shine?" Teddy asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"