The evening of the day following this excursion was that appointed for the delivery of Reva's lecture. Its theme, that famous thistle, which had thriven wonderfully in the rich soil of its tub, was carried down in the forenoon, and placed on a stand on the platform of the lectureroom. This was in order to afford all an opportunity of closely examining the strange plant, the fame of which had spread far and wide. Though Reva had been careful to snip off every morning all buds that threatened to ripen, the plant still displayed a goodly array of them. Its ultimate fate, whether to be utterly destroyed, or to be spared in order to distribute specimens to be kept, under suitable precautions, by the curators of botanical gardens, was yet to be determined by the council of elders.
Since the attendance promised to be unusually large, it had been resolved to employ the great dining-hall instead of the ordinary lecture-room. As a matter of convenience also, those intending to be present at the lecture, that is, practically all the inhabitants of the district, besides many invited guests, were to dine in the great hall as on the Day of Rest.
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