Consequently, Christopher knew a good deal of the Bible for a child of his age. He felt that he had done very wrong. He had been very wicked. Nobody but God could help him now, and God was angry with him. Miss Lilla was in heaven with her Saviour and the holy angels even now, while her body lay there in the grave where he was, as it were, buried alive with her, but if he were to die there! Oh, why did not somebody come? It must be almost dark now. He could not see, at all. They must have heard where he was by this time: why did not somebody come to take him out? Must he stay there all night? Must he stay till he starved to death or died of the chill and the damp air? He was not strong, and he sometimes had fainting fits, and he had once heard his mother say that he might die in these fits unless he had help directly. Suppose he should have one now?
Just at this moment he remembered the words which had so affected him in the funeral service: "Of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?" That was true. Of whom else could he seek for help? Nobody else could give him any aid; but if God were his Friend, no real harm could happen to him. Even if he were to die, he should be quite safe, for the angels would carry him away from that dreary place to the light and joy of heaven. But would God forgive him? Was there any use in asking after he had been so wicked?
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Christopher had heard those words more times than he could remember, but he had never attached any particular meaning to them. Now they came to him as a messenger from on high. He set himself to think of other promises to the same effect, and he remembered a great many.
"I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."
"Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners."
"He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him."
There seemed to be no end to the texts he could remember.
"That must mean me, because I am a sinner! It must be true—he says so! Oh, if I had only minded before! But I know he can help me even now, as he did Daniel and the three Hebrew children, if he sees it right."
Christopher raised his head. The full moon had risen, and a pale beam of light came through the thick glass over the outer door and shone on the white coffin. He went and knelt down by the side of it, feeling that even Miss Lilla's dead body was some company for him.
He prayed that his sins might be forgiven and washed away; that he might be released from that place and taken back to his mother, if it was his Father's will; and if not, that he might be taken to heaven; and that he might not be afraid to die when the time came. He prayed for his mother and all his friends, and for Osric, and finally, quieted by his prayers and worn out by fatigue, he laid his head down upon the soft plush which covered Miss Lilla's last resting-place and fell fast asleep.
[CHAPTER V.]
MEANTIME, there was a great wonder what could have become of Christopher.