38 LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
during the first four hours of the day, David 
wondered greatly how the strangers had gained 
access to his closet. They rose, and begged 
pardon for having entered unannounced, because 
they had an urgent complaint to lay before him. 
David quitted the harp, and placed himself on 
his judgment seat. “ This man,” began one of 
them,“ has ninety-nine sheep, which plentifully 
supply all his wants; while I, poor wretch, had 
hut one that was my joy and comfort, and that 
one he has forcibly taken from me.” At the 
mention of the ninety-nine sheep, David could 
not help thinking of the flock of his harem. 
He recognised in the strangers two angels of 
the Lord, and was sensible of the heinousness 
of his offence. Forthwith he threw himself 
upon the floor, and shed tears of hitter repent¬ 
ance. There he lay for forty days and forty 
nights upon his face, weeping and trembling 
before the judgment of the Lord. As many 
tears of repentance as the whole human race 
have shed and will shed on account of their 
sins, from the time of David till the judgment- 
day, so many did David weep in those forty 
days, all the while moaning forth psalms of 
