"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 struggle going on which she had no means of gauging.