young,
felt himself carried by an irresistible power up away from the earth,
past the stars and planets and suns and satellites that blazed like
gems in space; on, on for what seemed to him like ages of time, until
even the thought of time grew indistinct; on and up and into the
presence of the most mighty Face he had ever looked into. It was the
Face of Eternity. On its brow was written in words of blazing light
the one word "Now." And as he looked into that calm, awful Face and
read that word, Mr. Hardy felt his soul crumble within him. When the
Face spoke it was the speech of a thousand oceans heaved by a million
tempests, yet through the terror of it ran a thread of music--a still,
sweet sound like everlasting love--as if angels sang somewhere a divine
accompaniment. And the Face said:

"Child of humanity, you have neglected and despised me for fifty years.
You have lived for yourself. You have been careless and thoughtless
of the world's great needs. The time of your redemption is short. It
has been appointed you by Him who rules the world that you should have
but seven more days to live upon the earth--seven days to help redeem
your soul from everlasting shame and death. Mortal, see to it that
thou use the precious time like those who toil for jewels in the mine
beneath the sea. I who speak unto thee am Eternity."

Then Robert Hardy thought he fell prostrate before that awful face and
begged in bitterest terror for a longer lease of life.

"Seven days! Why it will be but seven swift seconds to redeem my past!
Seven days! It will be a nothing in the marking of time! O mighty
Power, grant me longer! Seven weeks! Seven years! And I will live
for Thee as never mortal yet lived!"

And Robert Hardy sobbed and held his arms beseechingly up toward that
most resplendent Face. And as he thus stretched out his arms, the Face
bent down, toward his, and he thought a smile of pity gleamed upon it
and he hoped that more time would be granted him; and then, as it came
nearer, he suddenly awoke, and there was his own wife bending over him,
and a tear from her face fell upon his own, as she said:

"Robert! Robert!"

Mr. Hardy sat up confused and trembling. Then he clasped his wife to
him and kissed her as he used to do. And then, to her great amazement,
he related to her in a low tone the dream he had just had. Mrs. Hardy
listened in the most undisguised astonishment. But what followed
filled her he