we two-第12章

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ndered　happy　for　the　rest　of　the　day　by　some　brief　passing　remark　from　his　Undine；　or　by　one　of　her　peculiarly　bright　smiles。　　One　day；　however；　she　actually　stopped；　her　face　was　radiant。

〃I　must　just　tell　you　our　good　news；〃　she　said。　　〃My　father　has　won　his　case；　and　has　got　heavy　damages。〃

〃I　am　very　glad；〃　said　Brian。　　〃It　must　be　a　great　relief　to　you　all　to　have　it　over。〃

〃Immense！　　Father　looks　as　if　a　ton's　weight　had　been　taken　off　his　mind。　　Now　I　hope　we　shall　have　a　little　peace。〃

With　a　hasty　good　bye　she　hurried　on；　an　unusual　elasticity　in　her　light　footsteps。　　In　Guilford　Square　she　met　a　political　friend　of　her　father's；　and　was　brought　once　more　to　a　standstill。　　This　time　it　was　a　little　unwillingly；　for　M。　Noirol　teased　her　unmercifully；　and　at　their　last　meeting　had　almost　made　her　angry　by　talking　of　a　friend　of　his　at　Paris　who　offered　untold　advantages　to　any　clever　and　well…educated　English　girl　who　wished　to　learn　the　language；　and　who　would　in　return　teach　her　own。　　Erica　had　been　made　miserable　by　the　mere　suggestion　that　such　a　situation　would　suit　her；　the　slightest　hint　that　it　might　be　well　for　her　to　go　abroad　had　roused　in　her　a　sort　of　terror　lest　her　father　might　ever　seriously　think　of　the　scheme。　　She　had　not　quite　forgiven　M。　Noirol　for　having　spoken；　although　the　proposal　had　not　been　gravely　made；　and　probably　only　persevered　in　out　of　the　spirit　of　teasing。　　But　today　M。　Noirol　looked　very　grave。

〃You　have　heard　our　good　news？〃　said　Erica。　　〃Now　don't　begin　again　about　Madame　Lemercier's　school；　I　don't　want　to　be　made　cross　today　of　all　days；　when　I　am　so　happy。〃

〃I　will　tease　you　no　more；　dear　mademoiselle；〃　said　the　Frenchman；　but　he　offered　no　congratulations；　and　there　was　something　in　his　manner　which　made　Erica　uneasy。

〃Is　anything　wrong？　　Has　anything　happened？〃　she　asked　quickly。

The　Frenchman　shrugged　his　shoulders。

〃Who　knows！　　It　is　an　evil　world；　Mademoiselle　Erica；　as　you　will　realize　when　you　have　lived　in　it　as　long　as　I　have。　　But　I　detain　you。　　Good　bye。　　AU　REVOIR！〃

He　took　off　his　hat　with　a　flourish；　and　passed　on。

Erica；　feeling　baffled　and　a　little　cross；　hurried　home。　　M。　Noirol　had　not　teased　her　today；　but　he　had　been　inscrutable　and　tiresome；　and　he　had　made　her　feel　uneasy。　　She　opened　the　front　door；　and　went　at　once　to　her　father's　study；　pausing　for　a　moment　at　the　sound　of　voices　within。　　She　recognized；　however；　that　it　was　her　cousin；　Tom　Craigie；　who　was　speaking；　and　without　more　delay　she　entered。　　Then　in　a　moment　she　understood　why　M。　Noirol　had　been　so　mysterious。　　Tom　was　speaking　quickly　and　strongly；　and　there　was　a　glow　of　anger　on　his　face。　　Her　father　was　standing　with　his　back　to　the　mantlepiece；　and　there　was　a　sort　of　cold　light　in　his　eyes；　which　filled　Erica　with　dismay。　　Never　in　the　most　anxious　days　had　she　seen　him　look　at　once　so　angry；　yet　as　weighed　down　with　care。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　she　questioned；　breathlessly；　instinctively　turning　to　Tom；　whose　hot　anger　was　more　approachable。

〃The　scamp　of　a　Christian　has　gone　bankrupt；〃　he　said；　referring　to　the　defendant　in　the　late　action；　but　too　furious　to　speak　very　intelligibly。

〃Mr。　Cheale；　you　mean？〃　asked　Erica。　

〃The　scoundrel！　　Yes！　　So　not　a　farthing　of　costs　and　damages　shall　we　see！　　It　is　the　most　fiendish　thing　ever　heard　of！〃

〃Will　the　costs　be　very　heavy？〃

〃Heavy！　　I　should　think　they　would　indeed！〃　　He　named　the　probable　sum；　it　seemed　a　fearful　addition　to　the　already　existing　burden　of　debts。

A　look　of　such　pain　and　perplexity　came　over　Erica's　face　that　Raeburn　for　the　first　time　realizing　what　was　passing　in　the　room；　drew　her　toward　him；　his　face　softening；　and　the　cold；　angry　light　in　his　eyes　changing　to　sadness。

〃Never　mind；　my　child；〃　he　said；　with　a　sigh。　　〃'Tis　a　hard　blow；　but　we　must　bear　up。　　Injustice　won't　triumph　in　the　end。〃

There　was　something　in　his　voice　and　look　which　made　Erica　feel　dreadfully　inclined　to　cry；　but　that　would　have　disgraced　her　forever　in　the　eyes　of　stoical　Tom；　so　she　only　squeezed　his　hand　hard　and　tried　to　think　of　that　far…distant　future　of　which　she　had　spoken　to　Charles　Osmond；　when　there　would　be　no　tiresome　Christians　and　bigots　and　lawsuits。

There　was；　however；　one　person　in　the　house　who　was　invariably　the　recipient　of　all　the　troubled　confidences　of　others。　　In　a　very　few　minutes　Erica　had　left　the　study　and　was　curled　up　beside　her　mother's　couch；　talking　out　unreservedly　all　her　grief；　and　anger；　and　perplexity。

Mrs。　Raeburn；　delicate　and　invalided　as　she　was；　had　nevertheless　a　great　deal　of　influence；　though　perhaps　neither　Raeburn；　nor　Erica；　nor　warm…hearted　Tom　Craigie　understood　how　much　she　did　for　them　all。　　She　was　so　unassuming；　so　little　given　to　unnecessary　speech；　so　reticent；　that　her　life　made　very　little　show；　while　it　had　become　so　entirely　a　matter　of　course　that　every　one　should　bring　his　private　troubles　to　her　that　it　would　have　seemed　extraordinary　not　to　meet　with　exactly　the　sympathy　and　counsel　needed。　　Today；　however；　even　Mrs。　Raeburn　was　almost　too　despondent　to　cheer　the　others。　　It　comforted　Erica　to　talk　to　her；　but　she　could　not　help　feeling　very　miserable　as　she　saw　the　anxiety　and　sadness　in　her　mother's　face。

〃What　more　can　we　do；　mother？〃　she　questioned。　　〃I　can't　think　of　a　single　thing　we　can　give　up。〃

〃I　really　don't　know；　dear；〃　said　her　mother　with　a　sigh。　　〃We　have　nothing　but　the　absolute　necessaries　of　life　now；　except　indeed　your　education　at　the　High　School；　and　that　is　a　very　trifling　expense；　and　one　which　cannot　be　interfered　with。〃

Erica　was　easily　depressed；　like　most　high…spirited　persons；　but　she　was　not　used　to　seeing　either　her　father　or　her　mother　despondent；　and　the　mere　strangeness　kept　her　from　going　down　to　the　very　deepest　depths。　　She　had　the　feeling　that　at　least　one　of　them　must　try　to　keep　up。　　Yet；　do　what　she　would；　that　evening　was　one　of　the　saddest　and　dreariest　she　had　ever　spent。　　All　the　excitement　of　contest　was　over；　and　a　sort　of　dead　weight　of　gloom　seemed　to　oppress　them。　　Raeburn　was　absolutely　silent。　　From　the　first　Erica　had　never　heard　him　complain；　but　his　anger；　and　afterward　his　intense　depression；　spoke　volumes。　　Even　Tom；　her　friend　and　play　fellow；　seemed　changed　this　evening；　grown　somehow　from　a　boy　to　a　man；　for　there　was　a　sternness　about　him　which　she　had　never　seen　before；　and　which　made　the　days　of　their　childhood　seem　far　away。　　And　yet　it　was　not　so　very　long　ago　that　she　and　Tom　had　been　the　most　light…hearted　and　careless　beings　in　the　world；　and　had　imagined　the　chief　interest　of　life　to　consist　in　tending　dormice；　and　tame　rats；　and　silk　worms！　　She　wondered　whether　they　could　ever　feel　free　again；　whether　they　could　ever　enjoy　their　long　Saturday　afternoon　rambles；　or　whether　this　weight　of　care　would　always　be　upon　them。

With　a　very　heavy　heart　she　prepared　her　lessons　for　the　next　day；　finding　it　hard　to　take　much　interest　in　Magna　Charta　and　legal　enactments　in　the　time　of　King　John；　when　the　legal　enactments　of　today　were　so　much　more　mind…engrossing。　　Tom　was　sitting　opposite　to　her；　writing　letters　for　Raeburn。　　Once；　notwithstanding　his　grave　looks；　she　hazarded　a　question。〃Tom；〃　she　said；　shutting　up　her　〃History　of　the　English　People；〃　〃Tom；　what　do　you　think　will　happen？〃

Tom　looked　across　at　her　with　angry　yet　sorrowful　eyes。

〃I　think；〃　he　said；　sternly；　〃that　the　chieftain　will　try　to　do　the　work　of　ten　men　at　once；　and　will　pay　off　these　debts　or　die　in　the　attempt。〃

The　〃chieftain〃　was　a　favorite　name　among　the　Raeburnites　for　their　leader；　and　there　was　a　great　deal　of　the　clan　feeling　among　them。　　The　majority　of　them　were　earnest；　hard…working；　thoughtful　men；　and　their　society　was　both　powerful　and　well…organized；　while　their　personal　devotion　to　Raeburn　lent　a　vigor　and　vitality　to　the　whole　body　which　might　otherwise　have　been　lacking。　　Perhaps　comparatively　few　would　have　been　enthusiastic　for　the　cause　of　atheism　had　not　that　cause　been　represented　by　a　high…souled；　self…denying　man　whom　they　loved　with　all　their　hearts。

The　dreary　evening　ended　at　length；　Erica　helped　her　mother　to　bed；　and　then　with　slow　steps