we two-第101章

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Every　one　seemed　a　little　taken　aback　when　he　entered。　　He　took　no　notice　whatever　of　Raeburn；　but　went　straight　up　to　Rose。

〃Go　and　put　on　your　things　at　once；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　come　to　take　you　home。〃

〃Oh；　papa；〃　began　Rose；　〃how　you〃

〃Not　a　word；　Rose。　　Go　and　dress；　and　don't　keep　me　waiting。〃

Erica；　with　a　vain　hope　of　making　Mr。　Fane…Smith　behave　at　least　civilly；　came　forward　and　shook　hands　with　him。

〃I　don't　think　you　have　met　my　father　before；〃　she　said。

Raeburn　had　come　a　few　steps　forward；　Mr。　Fane…Smith　inclined　his　about　a　quarter　of　an　inch；　Raeburn　bowed；　then　said　to　Erica：

〃Perhaps　Mr。　Fane…Smith　would　prefer　waiting　in　my　study。〃

〃Thanks；　I　will　wait　where　I　am；〃　said　Mr。　Fane…Smith；　pointedly；　ignoring　the　master　of　the　house　and　addressing　Erica。　　〃Thank　you；〃　as　she　offered　him　a　chair；　〃　I　prefer　to　stand。　　Have　the　goodness　to　see　that　Rose　is　quick。〃

〃Thinks　the　chair's　atheistical！〃　remarked　Tom　to　himself。

Raeburn；　looking　a　degree　more　stately　than　usual；　stood　on　the　hearth　rug　with　his　back　to　the　fire；　not　in　the　least　forgiving　his　enemy；　but　merely　adopting　for　himself　the　most　dignified　role。　　Mr。　Fane…Smith　a　few　paces　off　with　his　anger　and　ill…concealed　contempt　did　not　show　to　advantage。　　Something　in　the　relative　sizes　of　the　two　struck　the　professor　as　comically　like　Landseer's　〃Dignity　and　Impudence。〃　　He　would　have　smiled　at　the　thought　had　he　not　been　very　angry　at　the　discourteous　treatment　his　friend　was　receiving。　　Mrs。　MacNaughton　sat　with　her　queen　in　her　hand　as　though　meditating　her　next　move；　but　in　reality　absorbed　in　watching　the　game　played　by　the　living　chess…men　before　her。　　Tom　at　last　broke　the　uncomfortable　silence　by　asking　the　professor　about　some　of　Erica's　specimens；　and　at　length　Rose　came　down；　much　to　every　one's　relief；　followed　by　Erica；　who　had　been　helping　her　to　collect　the　things。

〃Are　you　ready？〃　said　her　father。　　〃Then　come　at　once。〃

〃Let　me　at　least　say　goodbye；　papa；〃　said　Rose；　very　angry　at　being　forced　to　make　this　undignified　and；　as　she　rightly　felt；　rude　exit。

〃Come　at　once；〃　said　Mr。　Fane…Smith　in　an　inexorable　voice。　　As　he　left　the　room　he　turned　and　bowed　stiffly。

〃Go　down　and　open　the　door　for　them；　Tom；〃　said　Raeburn；　who　throughout　Mr。　Fane…Smith's　visit　had　maintained　a　stern；　stately　silence。

Tom；　nothing　loth；　obeyed。　　Erica　was　already　half　way　downstairs　with　the　guests；　but　he　caught　them　up　and　managed　to　say　goodbye　to　Rose；　even　to　whisper　a　hope　that　they　might　meet　again；　to　which　Rose　replied　with　a　charming　blush　and　smile　which；　Tom　flattered　himself；　meant　that　she　really　cared　for　him。　　Had　Rose　gone　quietly　away　the　next　morning；　he　would　not　have　been　goaded　into　any　such　folly。　　A　cab　was　waiting；　but；　when　Rose　was　once　inside　it；　her　father　recovered　his　power　of　speech　and　turned　upon　Erica　as　they　stood　by　the　front　door。

〃I　should　have　thought；〃　he　said　in　an　angry　voice；　〃that　after　our　anxiety　to　persuade　you　to　leave　your　home；　you　might　have　known　that　I　should　never　allow　Rose　to　enter　this　hell；　to　mix　with　blaspheming　atheists；　to　be　contaminated　by　vile　infidels！〃

Erica's　Highland　hospitality　and　strong　family　loyalty　were　so　outraged　by　the　words　that　to　keep　silent　was　impossible。

〃You　forget　to　whom　you　are　speaking；〃　she　said　quickly。　　〃You　forget　that　this　is　my　father's　house！〃

〃I　would　give　a　good　deal　to　be　able　to　forget；〃　said　Mr。　Fane…Smith。　〃I　have　tried　to　deal　kindly　with　you；　tried　to　take　you　from　this　accursed　place；　and　you　repay　me　by　tempting　Rose　to　stay　with　you！〃

Erica　had　recovered　herself　by　this　time。　　Tom；　watching　her；　could　not　but　wonder　at　her　self…restraint。　　She　did　not　retaliate；　did　not　even　attempt　to　justify　her　conduct；　at　such　a　moment　words　would　have　been　worse　than　useless。　　But　Tom；　while　fully　appreciating　the　common　sense　of　the　non…resistance；　was　greatly　astonished。　　Was　this　his　old　playmate　who　had　always　had　the　most　deliciously　aggravating　retort　ready？　　Was　this　hot…tempered　Erica？　　That　Mr。　Fane…Smith's　words　were　hurting　her　very　much　he　could　see；　he　guessed；　too；　that　the　consciousness　that　he；　a　secularist；　was　looking　on　at　this　unfortunate　display　of　Christian　intolerance；　added　a　sting　to　her　grief。

〃It　is　useless　to　profess　Christianity；〃　stormed　Mr。　Fane…Smith；　〃if　you　openly　encourage　infidelity　by　consorting　with　these　blasphemers。　　You　are　no　Christian！　　A　mere　Socinian　a　Latitudinarian！〃

Erica's　lips　quivered　a　little　at　this；　but　she　remembered　that　Christ　had　been　called　harder　names　still　by　religious　bigots　of　His　day；　and　she　kept　silence。

〃But　understand　this；〃　continued　Mr。　Fane…Smith；　〃that　I　approve　less　than　ever　of　your　intimacy　with　Rose；　and　until　you　come　to　see　your　folly　in　staying　here；　your　worse　than　folly　your　deliberate　choice　of　home　and　refusal　to　put　religious　duty　first　there　had　better　be　no　more　intercourse　between　us。〃

〃Can　you　indeed　think　that　religious　duty　ever　requires　a　child　to　break　the　fifth　commandment？〃　said　Erica　with　no　anger　but　with　a　certain　sadness　in　her　tone。　　〃Can　you　really　think　that　by　leaving　my　father　I　should　be　pleasing　a　perfectly　loving　God？〃

〃You　lean　entirely　on　your　own　judgment！〃　said　Mr。　Fane…Smith；　〃if　you　were　not　too　proud　to　be　governed　by　authority；　you　would　see　that　precedent　shows　you　to　be　entirely　in　the　wrong。　　St。　John　rushed　from　the　building　polluted　by　the　heretic　Cerinthus；　a　man　who；　compared　with　your　father；　was　almost　orthodox！〃

Erica　smiled　faintly。

〃If　that　story　is　indeed　true；　I　should　think　he　remembered　before　long　a　reproof　his　intolerance　brought　him　once。　　'Ye　know　not　what　spirit　ye　are　of。〃　　And　really；　if　we　are　to　fall　back　upon　tradition；　I　may　quote　the　story　of　Abraham　turning　the　unbeliever　out　of　his　tent　on　a　stormy　night。　　'I　have　suffered　him　these　hundred　years；'　was　the　Lord's　reproof；　'though　he　dishonored　Me；　and　couldst　thou　not　endure　him　for　one　night？'　　I　am　sorry　to　distress　you；　but　I　must　do　what　I　know　to　be　right。

〃Don't　talk　to　me　of　right；〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Fane…Smith　with　a　shudder。　　〃You　are　wilfully　putting　your　blaspheming　father　before　Christ。　　But　I　see　my　words　are　wasted。　　Let　me　pass！　　The　air　of　this　house　is　intolerable　to　me！〃

He　hurried　away；　his　anger　flaming　up　again　when　Tom　followed　him；　closing　the　door　of　the　cab　with　punctilious　politeness。　　Rose　was　frightened。

〃Oh；　papa；〃　she　said；　trembling；　〃why　are　you　so　angry？　　You　haven't　been　scolding　Erica　about　it？　　If　there　was　any　fault　anywhere；　the　fault　was　mine。　　What　did　you　say　to　her；　papa？　　What　have　you　been　doing？〃

Mr。　Fane…Smith　was　in　that　stage　of　anger　when　it　is　pleasant　to　repeat　all　one's　hot　words　to　a　second　audience　and；　moreover；　he　wanted　to　impress　Rose　with　the　enormity　of　her　visit。　　He　repeated　all　that　he　had　said　to　Erica；　interspersed　with　yet　harder　words　about　her　perverse　self…reliance　and　disregard　for　authority。

Rose　listened；　but　at　the　end　she　trembled　no　longer。　　She　had　in　her　a　bit　of　the　true　Raeburn　nature　with　its　love　of　justice　and　its　readiness　to　stand　up　for　the　oppressed。

〃Papa；〃　she　said；　all　her　spoiled…child　manners　and　little　affectations　giving　place　to　the　most　perfect　earnestness；　〃papa；　you　must　forgive　me　for　contradicting　you；　but　you　are　indeed　very　much　mistaken。　　I　may　have　been　silly　to　go　there。　　Erica　did　try　all　she　could　to　persuade　me　to　go　back　to　Greyshot　yesterday；　but　I　am　glad　I　stayed　even　though　you　are　so　angry　about　it。　　If　there　is　a　noble；　brave　girl　on　earth；　it　is　Erica！　　You　don't　know　what　she　is　to　them　all；　and　how　they　all　love　her。　　I　will　tell　you　what　this　visit　has　done　for　me。　　It　has　made　me　ashamed　of　myself；　and　I　am　going　to　try　to　be　wiser；　and　less　selfish。〃

It　was　something　of　an　effort　to　Rose　to　say　this；　but　she　had　been　very　much　struck　with　the　sight　of　Erica's　home　life；　and　she　wanted　to　prove　to　her　father　how　greatly　he　had　misjudged　her　cousin。　　Unfortunately；　there　are　some　people　in　this　world　who；　having　once　got　an　idea　into　their　heads；　will　keep　it　in　the　teeth　of　the　very　clearest　evidence　to　the　contrary。

In　the　meantime；　Tom　had　rejoined　Erica　in　the　hal