we two-第75章

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ll　marble　tablet　just　below　it　that　she　had　not　before　noticed；　and　this　furnished　her　with　thoughts　which　outlasted　the　sermon。

At　the　top　was　a　medallion；　the　profile　of　the　same　fine；　soldierly　looking　man　whose　portrait　hung　in　Donovan's　study；　and　which　was　so　wonderfully　like　both　himself　and　little　Ralph。　　Beneath　was　the　following　inscription：

In　loving　Memory　of　RALPH　　FARRANT；　Who　died　at　Porthkerran；　Cornwall；　May　3；　18；　Aged　45

Every　good　gift　and　every　perfect　gift　is　from　above；　and　cometh　down　from　the　Father　of　lights；　with　whom　is　no　variableness；　neither　shadow　of　turning。〃

The　date　was　sixteen　years　back；　but　the　tablet　was　comparatively　new；　and　could　not　have　been　up　more　than　six　years　at　the　outside。　　Erica　was　able　partly　to　understand　why　Donovan　had　chosen　for　it　that　particular　text；　and　nothing　could　more　effectually　have　counteracted　Mr。　Cuthbert's　sermon　than　the　thoughts　which　it　awoke　in　her。

Nevertheless；　she　did　not　quite　get　over　the　ruffled　feeling；　which　was　now　in　a　great　measure　physical；　and　it　was　with　a　sense　of　relief　that　she　found　herself　again　in　the　open　air；　in　the　warmth；　and　sunshine；　and　gladness　of　the　September　day。　　Donovan　did　not　say　a　word。　　They　passed　through　the　little　church　yard；　and　walked　slowly　up　the　winding　lane；　the　children；　who　had　stopped　to　gather　a　fine　cluster　of　blackberries；　were　close　behind　them。　　In　the　silence；　every　word　of　their　talk　could　be　distinctly　heard。

〃I　don't　like　God！〃　exclaimed　Ralph；　abruptly。

〃Oh；　you　naughty！〃　exclaimed　Dolly；　much　shocked。

〃No；　it　isn't　naughty。　　I　don't　think　He's　good。　　Why；　do　you　think　father　would　let　us　be　shut　up　　in　a　horrid　place　for　always　and　always？　　Course　he　wouldn't。　　I　'spects　if　we'd　got　to　go；　he'd　come；　too。〃

Donovan　and　Erica　looked　at　each　other。　　Donovan　turned　round；　and　held　out　his　hand；　at　which　both　children　rushed。

〃Ralph；〃　he　said；　〃if　any　one　told　you　that　I　might　some　day　leave　off　loving　you；　leave　off　being　your　father　what　would　you　do？〃

〃I'd　knock　them　down！〃　said　Ralph；　clinching　his　small　fist。

Donovan　laughed　a　little；　but　did　not　then　attempt　to　prove　the　questionable　wisdom　of　such　a　proceeding。

〃Why　would　you　feel　inclined　to　knock　them　down？〃　he　asked。

〃Because　it　would　be　a　wicked　lie！〃　cried　Ralph。　　〃Because　I　know　you　never　could；　father。〃

〃You　are　quite　right。　　Of　course　I　never　could。　　You　would　never　believe　any　one　who　told　you　that　I　could；　because　you　would　know　it　was　impossible。　　But　just　now　you　believed　what　some　one　said　about　God；　though　you　wouldn't　have　believed　it　of　me。　　Never　believe　anything　which　contradicts　'Our　Father。'　　It　will　be　our　father　punishing　us　now　and　hereafter；　and　you　may　be　sure　that　He　will　do　the　best　possible　for　all　His　children。　　You　are　quite　sure　that　I　should　only　punish　you　to　do　you　good；　and　how　much　more　sure　may　you　be　that　God；　who　loves　you　so　much　more；　will　do　the　same；　and　will　never　give　you　up。〃

Ralph　looked　hard　at　his　bunch　of　blackberries；　and　was　silent。　　Many　thoughts　were　working　in　his　childish　brain。　　Presently　he　said；　meditatively：

〃He　did　shout　it　out　so　loud　and　horrid！　　I　s'pose　he　had　forgotten　about　'Our　Father。'　　But；　you　see；　Dolly；　it　was　all　a　mistake。　　Come　along；　let's　race　down　the　drive。〃

Off　they　ran。　　Erica　fancied　that　Donovan　watched　them　rather　sadly。

〃I　thought　Ralph　was　listening　in　church；〃　she　said。　　〃Fancy　a　child　of　his　age　thinking　it　all　out　like　that！〃

〃Children　think　much　more　than　people　imagine；〃　said　Donovan。　〃And　a　child　invariably　carries　out　a　doctrine　to　its　logical　conclusion。　　〃Tis　wonderful　the　fine　sense　of　justice　which　you　always　find　in　them！〃

〃Ralph　inherits　that　from　you；　I　should　think。　　How　exactly　like　you　he　is；　especially　when　he　is　puzzling　out　some　question　in　his　own　mind。〃

A　strange　shadow　passed　over　Donovan's　face。　　He　was　silent　for　a　moment。

〃'Tis　hard　to　be　brave　for　one's　own　child；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃I　confess　that　the　thought　that　Ralph　may　have　to　live　through　what　I　have　lived　through　is　almost　unendurable　to　me。〃

〃How　vexed　you　must　have　been　that　he　heard　today's　sermon；〃　said　Erica。

〃Not　now；〃　he　replied。　　〃He　has　heard　and　taken　in　the　other　side；　and　has　instinctively　recognized　the　truth。　　If　I　had　had　some　one　to　say　as　much　to　me　when　I　was　his　age；　it　might　have　saved　me　twenty　years　of　atheism。〃

〃It　is　not　only　children　who　are　repulsed　by　this；〃　said　Erica。　　〃Or　learned　men　like　James　Mill。　　I　know　well　enough　that　hundreds　of　my　father's　followers　were　driven　away　from　Christianity　merely　by　having　this　view　constantly　put　before　them。　　How　were　they　to　know　that　half　the　words　about　it　were　mistranslations？　　How　were　they　to　study　when　they　were　hard　at　work　from　week's　end　to　week's　end？　　It　seems　to　me　downright　wicked　of　scholars　and　learned　men　to　keep　their　light　hidden　away　under　a　bushel；　and　then　pretend　that　they　fear　the　'people'　are　not　ready　for　it。〃

〃As　though　God's　truth　needed　bolstering　up　with　error！〃　exclaimed　Donovan。　　〃As　though　to　believe　a　hideous　lie　could　ever　be　right　or　helpful！　　There's　a　vast　amount　of　Jesuitry　among　well…meaning　Protestants。〃

〃And　always　will　be；　I　should　think；〃　said　Erica。　　〃As　long　as　people　will　think　of　possible　consequences；　instead　of　the　absolutely　true。　　But　I　could　forgive　them　all　if　their　idea　of　the　danger　of　telling　the　people　were　founded　on　real　study　of　the　people。　　But　is　it？　　How　many　of　the　conservers　of　half　truths；　who　talk　so　loudly　about　the　effect　on　the　masses；　have　personally　known　the　men　who　go　to　make　up　the　masses？〃

〃Yes；　you　are　right；〃　said　Donovan。　　〃As　a　rule　I　fancy　the　educated　classes　know　less　about　the　working　classes　than　they　do　about　the　heathen；　and　I　am　afraid；　care　less　about　them。　　You　have　an　immense　advantage　there　both　as　a　writer　and　a　worker；　for　I　suppose　you　really　have　been　brought　into　contact　with　them。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Erica；　〃all　my　life。　　How　I　should　like　to　confront　Mr。　Cuthbert　with　a　man　like　Hazeldine；　or　with　dozens　of　others　whom　I　could　name！〃

〃Why？〃　asked　Donovan。

〃Because　no　one　could　really　know　such　men　without　learning　where　the　present　systems　want　mending。　　If　Hazeldine　could　be　shut　into　Mr。　Cuthbert's　study　for　a　few　hours；　and　induced　to　tell　the　story　of　his　life；　I　believe　he　would　have　the　effect　of　the　ancient　mariner　on　the　wedding　guest。　　Only；　the　worst　of　it　is；　I'm　afraid　the　very　look　of　Mr。　Cuthbert　would　quite　shut　him　up。〃

〃Tell　me　about　him；〃　said　Donovan。

〃It　is　nothing　at　second　hand；〃　said　Erica。　　〃He　is　a　shoe　maker；　as　grand…looking　a　fellow　as　you　ever　saw；　fond　of　reading；　and　very　thoughtful；　and　with　more　quiet　common　sense　than　almost　any　I　ever　met。　　He　had　been　brought　up　to　believe　in　verbal　inspiration　that　had　been　thoroughly　crammed　down　his　throat；　but　no　one　had　attempted　to　touch　upon　the　contradictions；　the　thousand　and　one　difficulties　which　of　course　he　found　directly　he　began　to　study　the　Bible。　　So　he　puzzled　and　puzzled；　and　got　more　and　more　dissatisfied；　and　never　in　church　heard　anything　which　explained　his　difficulties。　　At　last　one　day　in　his　workshop　a　man　lent　him　a　number　of　the　'Idol　Breaker；'　and　in　it　was　a　paper　by　my　father　on　the　Atonement。　　It　came　to　him　like　a　great　light　in　his　darkness；　he　says　he　shall　never　forget　the　sudden　conviction　that　the　man　who　wrote　that　article　understood　every　one　of　his　difficulties；　and　would　be　able　to　clear　them　right　away。　　The　next　Sunday　he　went　to　hear　my　father　lecture。　　I　believe　it　would　make　the　　veriest　flint　cry　to　hear　his　account　of　it；　to　see　the　look　of　reverent　love　that　comes　over　his　face　when　he　says；　'And　there　I　found　Mr。　Raeburn　ready　to　answer　all　my　difficulties；　not　holding　one　at　arm's　length　and　talking　big　and　patronizing　for　all　he　was　so　clever；　but　just　like　a　mate。'　　That　man　would　die　for　my　father　any　day　hundreds　of　them　would。〃

〃I　can　well　believe　it；〃　said　Donovan。　　Then；　after　a　pause；　he　added；　〃To　induce　Christians　to　take　a　fair；　unprejudiced　look　at　true　secularism　and　to　induce　secularists　to　take　a　fair；　unprejudiced　view　of　true　Christ…following；　seems　to　me　to　be　the　great　need　of　t