we two-第102章

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In　the　meantime；　Tom　had　rejoined　Erica　in　the　hall。

〃How　can　such　a　brute　have　such　a　daughter？〃　he　said。　　〃Never　mind；　Cugina；　you　were　a　little　brick；　and　treated　him　much　better　than　he　deserved。　　If　that　is　a　Christian；　and　this　a　Latitudinarian　and　all　the　other　heresies　he　threw　at　your　head；　all　I　can　say　is；　commend　me　to　your　sort；　and　may　I　never　have　the　misfortune　to　encounter　another　of　his！〃

Erica　did　not　reply；　she　felt　too　sick　at　heart。　　She　walked　slowly　upstairs；　trying　to　stifle　the　weary　longing　for　Brian　which；　though　very　often　present；　became　a　degree　less　bearable　when　her　isolated　position　between　two　fires；　as　it　were　had　been　specially　emphasized。

〃That's　a　nice　specimen　of　Christian　charity！〃　said　Aunt　Jean　as　they　returned　to　the　green　room。

〃And　he　set　upon　Erica　at　the　door　and　hurled　hard　names　at　her　as　fast　as　he　could　go；〃　said　Tom；　proceeding　to　give　a　detailed　account　of　Mr。　Fane…Smith's　parting　utterances。

Erica　picked　up　Tottie　and　held　him　closely；　turning；　as　all　lovers　of　animals　do　in　times　of　trouble；　to　the　comforting　devotion　of　those　dumb　friends　who　do　not　season　their　love　with　curiosity　or　unasked　advice；　or　that　pity　which　is　less　sympathetic　than　silence；　and　burdens　us　with　the　feeling　that　our　sad　〃case〃　will　be　gossiped　over　in　the　same　pitying　tones　at　afternoon　teas　and　morning　calls。　　Tottie　could　not　gossip；　but　he　could　talk　to　her　with　his　bright　brown　eyes；　and　do　something　to　fill　a　great　blank　in　her　life。

Tom's　account　of　the　scene　in　the　hall　made　every　one　angry。

〃And　yet；〃　said　Mrs。　MacNaughton；　〃these　Christians；　who　used　to　us　such　language　as　this；　own　as　their　Master　one　who　taught　that　a　mere　angry　word　which　wounded　a　neighbor　should　receive　severe　punishment！〃

Raeburn　said　nothing；　only　watched　Erica　keenly。　　She　was　leaning　against　the　mantel　piece；　her　eyes　very　sad…looking；　and　about　her　face　that　expression　of　earnest　listening　which　is　characteristic　of　those　who　are　beginning　to　learn　the　true　meaning　of　humility　and　〃righteous　judgment。〃　　She　had　pushed　back　the　thick　waves　of　hair　which　usually　overshadowed　her　forehead；　and　looked　something　between　a　lion　with　a　tangled　mane　and　a　saint　with　a　halo。

〃Never　mind；〃　said　the　professor；　cheerfully；　〃it　is　to　bigotry　like　this　that　we　shall　owe　our　recovery　of　Erica。　　And　seriously；　what　can　you　think　of　a　religion　which　can　make　a　man　behave　like　this　to　one　who　had　never　injured　him；　who；　on　the　contrary；　had　befriended　his　child？〃

〃It　is　not　Christ's　religion　which　teaches　him　to　do　it；〃　said　Erica；　〃it　is　the　perversion　of　that　religion。〃

〃Then　in　all　conscience　the　perversion　is　vastly　more　powerful　and　extended　than　what　you　deem　the　reality。〃

〃Unfortunately　yes；〃　said　Erica；　sighing。　　〃At　present　it　is。〃

〃At　present！〃　retorted　the　professor；　〃why；　you　have　had　more　than　eighteen　hundred　years　to　improve　it。〃

〃You　yourself　taught　me　to　have　patience　with　the　slow　processes　of　nature；〃　said　Erica；　smiling　a　little。　　〃If　you　allow　unthinkable　ages　for　the　perfecting　of　a　layer　of　rocks；　do　you　wonder　that　in　a　few　hundred　years　a　church　is　still　far　from　perfect？〃

〃I　expect　perfection　in　no　human　being；〃　said　the　professor；　taking　up　a　Bible　from　the　table　and　turning　over　the　pages　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　knew　its　contents　well；　〃when　I　see　Christians　in　some　sort　obeying　this；　I　will　believe　that　their　system　is　the　true　system；　but　not　before。〃　　He　guided　his　finger　slowly　beneath　the　following　lines：　'Let　all　bitterness；　and　wrath；　and　anger；　and　clamor；　and　evil…speaking　be　put　away　from　you；　with　all　malice。'　　There　is　the　precept；　you　see；　and　a　very　good　precept；　to　be　found　in　the　secularist　creed　as　well；　but　now　let　us　look　at　the　practice。　　See　how　we　secularists　are　treated！　　Why；　we　live　as　it　were　in　a　foreign　land；　compelled　to　keep　the　law　yet　denied　the　protection　of　the　law！　　'Outlaws　of　the　constitution；　outlaws　of　the　human　race；〃　as　Burke　was　kind　enough　to　call　us。　　No！　　When　I　see　Christians　no　longer　slandering　our　leaders；　no　longer　coining　hateful　lies　about　us　out　of　their　own　evil　imaginations；　when　I　see　equal　justice　shown　to　all　men　of　whatever　creed；　then；　the　all…conquering　love。　　Christianity　has　yet　to　prove　itself　the　religion　of　love；　at　present　it　is　the　religion　of　exclusion。〃

Mrs。　MacNaughton；　who　was　exceedingly　fond　of　Erica；　looked　sorry　for　her。

〃You　see；　Erica；〃　she　said；　〃the　professor　judges　by　averages。　　No　one　would　deny　that　some　of　the　greatest　men　in　the　world　have　been；　and　are　even　in　the　present　day；　Christians；　they　have　been　brought　up　in　it；　and　can't　free　themselves　from　its　trammels。　You　have　a　few　people　like　the　Osmonds；　a　few　really　liberal　men；　but　you　have　only　to　see　how　they　are　treated　by　their　confreres　to　realize　the　illiberality　of　the　religion　as　a　whole。〃

〃I　think　with　you；〃　said　Erica；　〃that　if　the　revelation　of　God's　love；　and　His　purpose　for　all；　be　only　to　be　learned　from　the　lives　of　Christians；　it　is　a　bad　lookout　for　us。　　But　God　HAS　given　us　one　perfect　revelation　of　Himself；　and　the　Perfect　Son　can　make　us　see　plainly　even　when　the　imperfect　sons　are　holding　up　to　us　a　distorted　likeness　of　the　Father。〃

She　had　spoken　quietly；　but　with　the　tremulousness　of　strong　feeling；　and；　moreover；　she　was　so　sensitive　that　the　weight　of　the　hostile　atmosphere　oppressed　her；　and　made　speaking　a　great　difficulty。　　When　she　had　ended；　she　turned　away　from　the　disapproving　eyes　to　the　only　sympathetic　eyes　in　the　room　the　dog's。　　They　looked　up　into　hers　with　that　wistful　endeavor　to　understand　the　meaning　of　something　beyond　their　grasp；　which　makes　the　eyes　of　animals　so　pathetic。

There　was　a　silence；　her　use　of　the　adjective　〃perfect〃　had　been　very　trying　to　all　her　hearers；　who　strongly　disapproved　of　the　whole　sentence；　but　then　she　was　so　evidently　sincere　and　so　thoroughly　lovable　that　no　one　liked　to　give　her　pain。

Aunt　Jean　was　the　only　person　who　thought　there　was　much　chance　of　her　ever　returning　to　the　ranks　of　secularism；　she　was　the　only　one　who　spoke　now。

〃Well；　well；〃　she　said；　pityingly；　〃you　are　but　young；　you　will　think　very　differently　ten　years　hence。〃

Erica　kept　back　an　angry　retort　with　difficulty；　and　Raeburn；　whose　keen　sense　of　justice　was　offended；　instantly　came　forward　in　her　defense；　though　her　words　had　been　like　a　fresh　stab　in　the　old　wound。

〃That　is　no　argument；　Jean；〃　he　said　quickly。　　〃It　is　the　very　unjust　extinguisher　which　the　elders　use　for　the　suppression　of　individuality　in　the　young。〃

As　he　spoke；　he　readjusted　a　slide　in　his　microscope；　making　it　plain　to　all　that　he　intended　the　subject　to　be　dropped。　　He　had　a　wonderful　way　of　impressing　his　individuality　on　others；　and　the　household　settled　down　once　more　into　the　Sabbatical　calm　which　had　been　broken　by　a　bigoted　Sabbatarian。

Nothing　more　was　heard　of　Rose；　nor　did　Erica　have　an　opportunity　of　talking　over　the　events　of　that　Sunday　with　her　father　for　some　days　for　he　was　exceedingly　busy；　the　long　weeks　wasted　during　the　summer　in　the　wearisome　libel　case　having　left　upon　his　hands　vast　arrears　of　provincial　work。　　In　some　of　the　large　iron　foundries　you　may　see　hundreds　of　different　machines　all　kept　in　action　by　a　forty　horse…power　engine；　and　Raeburn　was　the　great　motive…power　which　gave　life　to　all　the　branches　of　Raeburnites　which　now　stretched　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land。　　Without　him　they　would　have　relapsed；　very　probably；　into　that　fearfully　widespread　mass　of　indifference　which　is　not　touched　by　any　form　of　Christianity　or　religious　revival；　but　which　had　responded　to　the　practical；　secular　teaching　of　the　singularly　powerful　secularist　leader。　　He　had　a　wonderful　gift　of　stirring　up　the　heretofore　indifferent；　and　making　them　take　a　really　deep　interest　in　national　questions。　　This　was　by　far　the　happiest　part　of　his　life　because　it　was　the　healthy　part　of　it。　　The　sameness　of　his　anti…theological　work；　and　the　barrenness　of　mere　down…pulling；　were　distasteful　enough　to　him；　he　was　often　heartily　sick　of　it　all；　and　had　he　not　thought　it　a　positive　duty　to　attack　what　he　deemed　a　very　mischievous　delusion；　he　would　gladly　have