trumpet-sound of their master, which was to call
them all back to his presence, and that he trembled because the evening
was coming on, and he had not yet traded for his lord. And "How," he
said in great fear, "how shall we ever stand that reckoning with our
hands empty?" Then some of his companions in idleness laughed and jeered
greatly, and mocked the poor trembler. But his fears were wiser than
their mockings; and so, it seemed, he knew, for he cared nothing for
them; but only said to them, very sadly and gravely, "You are in the same
danger, how then can you jeer at me?" And with that he pointed their
eyes up to the sky, and shewed them how low the sun had got already, and
that it wanted but an hour at the most to his setting, and then that the
trumpet might sound at any moment, and they have nothing to bear home to
their lord.

Now, as he spoke, one listened eagerly to him; and whilst the others
jeered, he said very gravely, "What can we do? Is it quite too late?"
"It is never too late," said the other, "till the trumpet sounds; and
though we have lost so much of the day, perchance we can yet do
something: come with me to the market-place, and we will try." So the
other joined him, and off they set, passing through their companions, who
shouted after them all the way they went, until the townsmen who stood
round began to jeer and shout after them also: so that all the town was
moved. A hard time those two had now, and much they wished that they had
gone to the market-place in the early morning, when the streets were
empty, and the busy servants had passed so easily along. Many were the
rough words they had now to bear; many the angry, or ill-natured, crowd
through which they had to push; and if any where they met one of their
late and idle companions, he was sure to stir up all the street against
them, when he saw them pushing on to the market-place.

"Do you think that we shall ever get there?" said he who had been moved
by the other's words to him, who led the way, and buffeted with the
crowd, like a man swimming through many rough waves in the strong stream
of some swift river. "Do you think that we shall ever get there?" "Yes,
yes," said the other; "we shall get there still, if we do but persevere."
"But it is so hard to make any way, and the streets seem to grow fuller
and fuller; I am afraid that I shall never get through."

Just as he spoke, a great band of the townspeople, with music, and
trumpe