the captives-第69章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



　And；　when　Thou　comest；　Lord；　we　pray　That　Thou　wilt　spare　Thy　sword；　Or　on　that　grim　and　ghastly　day　Who　will　escape　the　Lord？　WHO　will　escape　the　Lord？

There　were　many　verses　to　this　hymn；　and　it　had　a　long　and　lugubrious　tune；　so　that　Maggie　thought　that　it　would　never　end；　but　as　it　proceeded　the　words　worked　their　effect　on　the　congregation；　and　at　the　last　there　was　much　emotion　and　several　women　were　crying。

Then　they　all　sat　down　again　and　the　meeting　developed　a　very　business…like　side。　There　was　a　great　deal　of　discussion　as　to　dates；　places；　appointments；　and　Maggie　was　amused　to　discover　that　in　this　part　of　the　proceedings　Mrs。　Smith　had　a　great　deal　to　say；　and　took　a　very　leading　place。

The　gathering　became　like　any　other　assemblage　of　ladies　for　some　charitable　or　social　purpose；　and　there　were　the　usual　disputes　and　signs　of　temper　and　wounded　pride；　in　all　those　matters　Miss　Avies　was　a　most　admirable　and　unflinching　chairman。

Then　at　last　the　real　moment　came。　Miss　Avies　got　up　to　speak。　She　stood　there；　scornful；　superior；　and　yet　with　some　almost　cynical　appeal　in　her　eyes　as　though　she　said　to　them：　〃You　poor　fools！　No　one　knows　better　than　I　the　folly　of　your　being　here；　no　one　knows　better　than　I　how　far　you　will；　all　of　you；　be　from　realising　any　of　your　dreams。　Tricked；　the　lot　of　you！and　yetand　yetgo　on　believing；　expecting；　hoping。　Pray；　pray　that　I　may　be　wrong　and　you　may　be　right。〃

What　she　actually　said　was　as　follows：　〃This　will　be　our　last　meeting　before　the　end　of　the　year。　What　will　come　to　all　of　us　before　we　all　meet　again　no　one　can　say；　but　this　we　all　know；　that　we　have；　most　of　us；　been　living　now　for　many　years　in　expectation。　We　have　been　taught；　by　the　goodness　of　God；　to　believe　that　we　must　be　ready　at　any　moment　to　obey　His　call；　and　that　call　may　come；　in　the　middle　of　our　work；　of　our　prayers；　of　our　love　for　others；　of　our　pursuit　of　our　own　ambitions；　and　that　whenever　it　does　come　we　must　be　ready　to　obey　it。　We　have　been　told　by　our　great　and　good　Master；　who　has　been　set　over　us　for　our　guidance　by　God　Himself；　that　that　call　may　now　be　very　near。　Whatever　form　it　may　take　we　must　accept　it；　give　up　all　we　have　and　follow　Him。　That　is　understood　by　all　of　us。　I　will　not　say　more　now。　This　is　not　the　time　for　any　more　directions　from　me。　We　must　address　ourselves；　each　one　of　us；　to　God　Himself；　and　ask　Him　to　prepare　us　so　that　we　may　be　as　He　would　have　us　on　the　day　of　His　coming。　I　suggest　now　before　we　part　that　we　share　together　in　a　few　minutes　of　private　prayer。〃　They　all　rose；　and　Maggie；　before　she　knelt　down；　caught　a　sudden　glimpse　of　the　pale　girl　whom　she　had　noticed　earlier　standing　for　a　moment　as　though　she　were　about　to　make　some　desperate　appeal　to　them　all。　Some　words　did　indeed　seem　to　come　from　her　lips；　but　the　scraping　of　chairs　drowned　every　other　sound。　Nevertheless　that　figure　was　there；　the　hands　stretched　out；　the　very　soul　struggling　through　the　eyes　for　expression；　the　body　tense；　sacred；　eloquent；　like　the　body　of　some　young　prophetess。　Then　all　were　on　their　knees；　and　Maggie；　too；　her　face　in　her　hands；　was　praying。　It　was；　perhaps；　the　first　time　in　her　life　that　she　had　actively；　consciously；　of　her　own　volition　prayed。　The　appeal　formed　itself　as　it　were　without　her　own　agency。

〃Godif　there　is　a　Godgive　me　Martin。　I　care　for　nothing　else　but　that。　If　You　will　give　me　Martin　for　my　own　always；　ever；　I　will　believe　in　You。　I　will　worship　You　and　say　prayers　to　You；　and　do　anything　You　tell　me　if　You　give　me　Martin。　Oh　God！　I　ought　to　have　him。　He　is　mine。　I　can　do　more　for　him　than　any　one　else　canI　can　make　him　happy　and　good。　I　know　I　can。　God　give　him　to　me　and　I　will　be　your　slave。　God；　give　me　MartinGod；　give　me　Martin。〃

She　rose；　as　it　were；　from　the　depths　of　the　sea；　from　great　darkness　and　breathlessness　and　exhaustion。　For　a　moment　she　could　not　see　the　room　nor　any　detail；　but　only　one　pale　face　after　another；　like　a　pattern　on　a　wall；　hiding　something　from　her。

She　stood　bewildered　beside　her　aunts；　not　hearing　the　strains　of　the　last　hymn　nor　the　quaver　of　Aunt　Anne's　trembling　voice　beside　her。

〃God；　give　me　Martin；〃　was　her　last　challenge　in　the　strange　pale　silence　that　floated　around　her。　Then　suddenly；　as　though　she　had　pushed　open　a　door　and　gone　through；　she　was　back　in　the　world　again；　a　flood　of　sound　was　about　her　ears；　and　in　front　of　her　the　red　face　of　Mrs。　Smith；　her　mouth　wide　open；　like　the　mouth　of　an　eager　fish；　singing　about　〃the　Blood　of　the　Lamb〃　with　unctuous　satisfaction　。　。　。




CHAPTER　X

THE　PROPHET


The　year　1907　had　four　more　days　of　life：　it　crept　to　its　grave　through　a　web　and　tangle　of　fog。　It　was　not　one　of　the　regular　yellow　devils　who　come　and　eat　up　London；　first　this　part；　and　then　that；　then　disgorge　a　little；　choking　it　all　up　only　to　snap　at　it　and　swallow　it　down　all　bewildered　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after。　This　was　a　cobweb　fog　spun；　as　it　might　be；　by　some　malignant　central　spider　hidden　darkly　in　his　lair。　The　vapouring…like　filmy　threads　twisted　and　twined　their　way　all　over　London；　and　for　four　days　and　nights　the　town　was　a　city　of　ghosts。　Buildings　loomed　dimly　behind　their　masks　of　silver　tissue；　streets　seemed　unsubstantial；　pavements　had　no　foundation；　streams　of　water　appeared　to　hang　glittering　in　mid…air；　men　and　horses　would　suddenly　plunge　into　grey　abysses　and　vanish　from　sight；　church…bells　would　ring　peals　high　up　in　air；　and　there　would　be；　it　seemed；　no　steeple　there　for　them　to　ring　from。　As　the　sun　behind　the　fog　rose　and　set　so　the　mist　would　catch　gold　and　red　and　purple　into　the　vapours；　strange　gleams　of　brass　and　silver　as　though　behind　its　web　armies　flaunting　their　colours　were　marching　through　the　sky；　down　on　the　very　earth　itself　horses　staggered　and　stumbled　on　the　thin　coating　of　greasy　mud　that　covered　everything；　men　opened　their　doors　to　look　out　on　to　the　world；　and　instantly　into　the　passages　there　floated　such　strange　forms　and　shadows　in　misty　shape　that　it　seemed　as　though　the　rooms　were　suddenly　invaded　by　a　flock　of　spirits。

Sometimes　for　half　an　hour　the　fog　lifted　and　bright　blue　sky　gleamed　like　a　miraculous　lake　suddenly　discovered　in　the　heart　of　the　boundless　waste；　then　vanished　again。　Suddenly；　with　a　whisk　of　the　immortal　broom；　the　web　was　torn；　the　spider　slain；　the　world　clear　once　morebut；　in　the　obscurity　and　dusk；　1907　had　seen　his　chance　and　vanished。

Warlock；　long　before　this；　had　lost　consciousness　of　external　sights　and　sounds。　He　could　not　have　told　any　one　when　it　was　that　the　two　worlds　had　parted　company。　For　many　many　years　he　had　been　conscious　of　both　existences；　but　during　his　youth　and　middle…age　they　had　seemed　to　mingle　and　go　along　together。　He　had　believed　in　both　equally　and　had　been　a　citizen　of　both。　Then　gradually；　as　time　passed；　he　had　seemed　to　have　less　and　less　hold　upon　the　actual　physical　world。　He　saw　it　suddenly　with　darkened　vision；　his　wife　and　daughter；　and　indeed　all　human　beings；　except　in　so　far　as　they　were　souls　to　be　saved　for　the　Lord；　became　less　and　less　realities。　Only　Martin　was　flesh　and　blood；　to　be　loved　and　longed　for　and　feared　for　just　as　he　had　always　been。　All　the　physical　properties　of　lifeclothes；　food；　household　possessions；　moneybecame　of　less　and　less　importance　to　him。　Had　Amy　not　watched　over　him　he　would　have　been　many　days　without　any　food　at　all；　and　one　day　he　come　into　the　living…room　at　breakfast…time　clothed　in　a　towel。　All　this　had　come　upon　him　with　vastly　increased　power　during　the　last　months。　In　Chapel；　and　whenever　he　had　work　to　do　in　connection　with　the　Chapel；　he　was　clear…headed　and　practical；　but　in　things　to　do　with　this　world　he　was　now　worse　than　a　child。

He　was　conscious　of　this　increasing　difficulty　to　deal　with　both　worlds。　It　was　because　one　worldthe　world　of　Godwas　opening　out　before　him　so　widely　and　with　so　varied　and　thrilling　a　beauty　that　there　was　less　and　less　time　to　be　spared　for　the　drab　realities　of　physical　things。

All　his　life　he　had　been　preparing；　and　then　suddenly　the　call　had　come。　Shortly　after　Martin's　return　he　had　known　in　Chapel；　one　evening；　that　God　was　approaching。　It　had　happene