Then God bade Moses to hold up his hand to Heaven. And darkness came on. It was dark all day--and with "darkness that might be felt;" not like night, but such black darkness that no fire or candle could give light, and no one dared to move about; but the Egyptians lay still in their places, full of horror and terror, for three whole days. But all the time it was light among the Israelites--the sun rose and set as usual; and thus God showed that they were His people. Then Pharaoh said that he would let them go--men, women and children, only he must keep all their cattle; and when Moses, speaking God's words, said that the cattle must go too, and not a hoof be left behind, Pharaoh made his heart hard again, and drove out Moses, saying the people should not go, and that Moses should never see his face again. And Moses said, "Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more." So ended the last hope for Pharaoh. He was never to have another chance of bending his will and doing as God told him. Oh, let us take care not to be like him! QUESTIONS. 1. How many plagues of Egypt were there? 2. Tell me which had happened? 3. What are the two plagues of this lesson? 4. What are locusts? 5. What harm do locusts do? 6. Who did Pharaoh say might go? 7. Whom would he not let go? 8. What plague came then? 9. What made the darkness so horrible? 10. How long did it last? 11. Who were not in the dark? 12. What did Pharaoh say then? 13. What did he want to keep back? 14. And how did he then change? 15. What did he say to Moses? 16. How did Moses answer? THIRD READING. "He smote all the first-born in Egypt."--_Psalm 78:51._ AFTER the nine sad plagues that had come upon the Egyptians--the blood for water, the frogs, the lice, the flies, the cattle plague, the boils, the hail, the locusts, the darkness--there was to be still one plague more, the last and worst. That would make the Egyptians let the people of Israel go, so they must be ready. There should be a terrible night. God's holy angel would pass over the whole land of Egypt that night, and in each house of the Egyptians he would slay the eldest son of the family. No one would be spared: Pharaoh's eldest son, the young prince, and the very poorest person's son. They had killed the little Israelite babies, so God would punish them by killing their children. None of the Israelites should lose their children; only there was one thing for them to do. [Illustration: THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER.--Ex. 12:11-14.] They were that night to sup on a lamb, and, with some of the blood of the lamb, they were to make a mark on the door-post. Where that mark was the angel would pass over and do no one any hurt; but the people would be blest and set free, because they believed God, and did as He bade them. QUESTIONS.