a knoll apart from his company, his face upturned to the cloudy sky.
Beyond him, over the lower ranks of trees, the thunder cloud they had
feared was still visible, showing its dark volume in the southern sky by
the frequent fiery shudderings which flashed through its length and
depth; but it had swept away so far that no sound of its thunder touched
their air; and the old man looked, not at it but at the calm,
cloud-wrapped sky above.

"The Son of Man is coming in the clouds of heaven with power, and great
glory."

The words fell upon the silence that was made up of the subdued sounds
of nature; it seemed to breathe again with them; while their minds had
time to be taken captive by the imagery. Then he cried,

"He shall send His angels with a trumpet, and a great voice, and they
shall gather the elect upon the four winds. Two shall be in the fields;
one shall be taken and the other left." He suddenly broke off the
recitation with a heartpiercing cry. "My Lord and my God! Let none of
Thy children here be left. Let none of those loved ones, for whom they
have come here to entreat Thee, be among those who are left. Let it
suffice Thee, Lord, that these have come to meet Thee on Thy way, to ask
Thee that not one of their beloved may be passed over now, when Thou
comest--_Now!_"

The last word was insistent. And then he passed once more into the
prayer that had been the burden of his heart and voice on the night that
Alec had first met him. That seemed to be the one thought of his poor
crazed brain--"Come, Lord Jesus!"