She felt the rain falling upon something hot, but she hardly knew that it was her own cheeks that were being wetted by the heavy drops.

Her first impulse was to run to Alec and Curly, put her arms about their necks, and entreat them to flee from the wrath to come.

But she could not find them to-night.

She must go home.

For herself she was not much afraid; for there was a place where prayer was heard as certainly as at the mercy-seat of old--a little garret room namely, with holes in the floor, out of which came rats; but with a door as well, in at which came the prayed-for cat.
But alas for poor Annie and her chapel-going! As she was creeping slowly up from step to step in the dark, the feeling came over her that it was no longer against rats, nor yet against evil things dwelling in the holes and corners of a neglected human world, that she had to pray.
A spiritual terror was seated on the throne of the universe, and was called God--and to whom should she pray against it?
Amidst the darkness, a deeper darkness fell.
She knelt by her bedside, but she could not lift up her heart; for was she not one of them that forget God?
and was she not therefore wicked?
and was not God angry with her every day?
Was not the fact that she could not pray a certain proof that she was out of God's favour, and counted unworthy of his notice?
But there was Jesus Christ: she would cry to him.