A woman came hurrying through the crowd. It was Mrs. Davis. At sight of her husband she burst into exclamations:
'Oh, Tommy, have you pawned them?'
'No, Matilda, I haven't, and I'm not going to, neither.'
'Thank God!'
She threw her arms about her husband's neck and kissed him.
'That is good hearing,' said the Stranger.
The people's attention had been diverted by Mrs. Davis's appearance. When they turned again to look for the Stranger He was gone.
CHAPTER III
[THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER]
'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land. They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews. But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground. We can speak, and we must. My answer is, It's a lie. We do look forward to His Second Coming. We watch and wait for it. It is the subject of our constant prayers. We have His promise, in words which cannot fail. The whole fabric of our faith is built upon our assurance of His return. If the delay seems long, it is because, in His sight, a thousand years are as a day. Who are we to time His movements, and fix the hour of His coming so that it may fall in with our convenience? We know that He will come, in His own time, in His own way. He will forgive us if we strain our eyes eastward, watching for the first rays of the dawn to gild the mountains and the plains, and herald the glory of His advent. But beyond that His will, not ours, be done. We know, O Lord Christ, Thou wilt return when it seems well in Thy sight.'