And clouds shut out the view.”
Sidney saw but a misty void peopled with the spectral shapes of his doubts, which gibbered nebulously through the veil at him. Speech died upon his lips. His voice, arrested midway in a phrase, seemed still to ring in the listening ears. It was as if one paused in an impassioned plea, to hear the answer rendered ere the plea was finished.
And the answer came.
A long sighing flaw of wind swept about the church, cool and sweet, and ere it died away rain was falling.
“Amen,” said every pair of lips in the church save the pale, quivering lips of Sidney Martin. The coincident arrival of the longed-for blessing added the finishing touch to his nervousness. He rose from the pew into which he had sunk for a moment and swiftly passed down the aisle, hearing, ere he reached the door, the first lines of the hymn of Hallelujah, which went up from the grateful hearts behind him. His whole being revolted against his recent action.
The rain beat down violently; the parched earth seemed to sigh audibly with delight, and within the church all the voices vibrant with justified faith seemed to mock at his depression. He could not explain his action to himself. What explanation then was possible to these simple folk?
Could he say to them—to Vashti—(he named her name in his thoughts, determined not to spare himself). Could he say to Vashti, “I do not believe in your God—nor in the man Christ Jesus, nor in prayer. Yet I stood in the church and asked a blessing. I defiled your fane with unbelieving feet. I do not know why I did it”? It was weak that, certainly! He imagined the scorn in her clear eyes; now eyes in which scorn is so readily imaginable are not the best eyes—but he did not think that. What was he to do? He had been weak. He must now be strong in his weakness.
The church door opened, one and all emerged upon the long verandah-like porch, and gathered round him, shaking hands with him.
“The Spirit indeed filled you this night, Brother,” said white-haired Mr. Didymus.
“Yes—you wrestled powerfully,” said Mr. Lansing.