lamb to the slaughter he is brought--'"

David stopped again, and Matilda searched for words to answer him, and
presently read,

"'So Christ was once offered to bear the sin of many; and unto them
that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation.'"

"The second time?" said David.

"Yes; when he comes to take the kingdom, you know."

David sighed deeply.

"David," said Matilda hesitatingly, she had been watching for a chance
to say it, "don't you know what Zechariah says about him?"

"Zechariah?"

"Yes; the prophet Zechariah. Mr. Wharncliffe says that is a time coming
to your people;--in the twelfth chapter. You can read it best for
yourself in your own book. It begins at the ninth verse--what I mean."

"This?" said David.

"'And I have poured on the house of David,
'And on the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
'A spirit of grace and supplications,
'And they have looked unto me whom they pierced,
'And they have mourned over it,
'Like a mourning over the only one,
'And they have been in bitterness for it,
'Like a bitterness over the first-born.

'In that day great is the mourning in Jerusalem,
'As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon;
'And mourned hath the land--every family apart;
'The family of the house of David apart,
'And their women apart;
'The family of the house of Nathan apart,
'And their women apart;
'The family of the house of Levi apart,
'And their women apart;
'The family of Shimei apart,
'And their women apart,
'All the families that are left,
'Every family apart, and their women apart!'"

The boy's face grew darker and darker as he read, and he remained
gloomily looking at the page after he had finished. "It looks like it!"
he said at last.

"Looks like what, David?" Matilda asked timidly. His face was very
cloudy as he lifted it to speak to her, and he spoke with difficulty.

"They are saying, Matilda,--my uncle, I mean, and the wise ones;--they
are saying, I heard them saying it a few weeks ago, softly, to each
other, that the time must be up; and that if Messiah does not come very
soon--"

"What then?" Matilda asked, for he had stopped suddenly.

"Then--they say--it must be, or may be, that he _has_ come!"

She was astonished at the changes in David's face. It flushed and
paled, his lips quivered, his brows were knit; the dark eyes were like
clouds and fire at once. Evidently there was a strugg