CHAPTER IX
At midnight they sat together, grieving, and the angel of the Lordappeared in the midst transfigured with a radiance not of earth; andspeaking, said:
"For liars a place is appointed. There they burn in the fires of hellfrom everlasting unto everlasting. Repent!"
The bereaved fell upon their knees before him and clasped their handsand bowed their gray heads, adoring. But their tongues clove to the roofof their mouths, and they were dumb.
"Speak! that I may bear the message to the chancery of heaven and bringagain the decree from which there is no appeal."
Then they bowed their heads yet lower, and one said:
"Our sin is great, and we suffer shame; but only perfect and finalrepentance can make us whole; and we are poor creatures who have learnedour human weakness, and we know that if we were in those hard straitsagain our hearts would fail again, and we should sin as before. Thestrong could prevail, and so be saved, but we are lost."
They lifted their heads in supplication. The angel was gone. Whilethey marveled and wept he came again; and bending low, he whispered thedecree.
CHAPTER X
Was it Heaven? Or Hell?