we two-第78章

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〃We　have　been　prophesying　all　manner　of　evil　about　your　coming　back；〃　said　Tom　looking　her　over　critically　from　head　to　foot。　　〃I　believe　mother　thought　you　would　never　come　that　the　good　Christians　down　at　Greyshot　having　caught　you　would　keep　you；　and　even　the　chieftain　was　the　least　bit　in　the　world　uneasy。〃

〃Nonsense；〃　said　Erica；　laughing；　〃he　knows　better。〃

〃But　they　did　want　to　keep　you？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃How　did　you　get　out　of　it？〃

〃Said；　'Much　obliged　to　you；　but　I'd　rather　not。'　　Enacted　Mrs。　Micawber；　you　know；　'I　never　will；　no　I　never　will　leave　Mr。　Micawber。'〃

〃Mr。　Fane…Smith　must　have　been　a　brute　ever　to　have　proposed　such　a　thing！〃

〃Oh；　no！　　Not　at　all！　　Within　certain　limits　he　is　a　kind…hearted　man；　only　he　is　one　of　those　who　believe　in　that　hateful　saying；　'Men　without　the　knowledge　of　God　are　cattle。'　　And；　believing　that；　would　treat　atheists　as　I　should　be　sorry　to　treat　Friskarina。〃

〃And　what　is　the　world　of　Greyshot　like？〃

〃It　is　very　lukewarm　about　public　questions；　and　very　boiling　hot　about　its　own　private　affairs；〃　said　Erica。　　〃But　I　have　learned　now　how　people　in　society　can　go　on　contentedly　living　their　easy　lives　in　the　midst　of　such　ignorance　and　misery。　　They　never　investigate；　and　when　any　painful　instance　is　alluded　to；　they　say；　〃Oh！　　But　it　CAN'T　be　true！'　　The　other　day　they　were　speaking　of　Kingsley's　pamphlet；　'Cheap　clothes　and　nasty；'　and　one　lady　said　that　was　quite　an　evil　of　the　past；　that　the　difficulty　nowadays　was　to　get　things　at　reasonable　prices。　　When　I　told　her　that　women　only　get　twopence　for　doing　all　the　machine　work　of　an　ulster；　and　have　to　provide　their　machine；　cotton；　food；　light；　and　fuel；　she　exclaimed；　'Oh；　that　is　incredible！　　It　must　be　exaggerated！　　Such　things　couldn't　be　now！'　　When　Aunt　Isabel　heard　that　I　had　known　cases　of　men　being　refused　admission　to　a　hospital　supported　by　public　subscriptions；　on　the　ground　of　their　atheism；　she　said　it　was　impossible。　　And　as　to　physical　ill　treatment；　or；　in　fact；　any　injustice　having　ever　been　shown　by　Christian　to　atheist；　she　would　not　hear　of　it。　　It　was　always　'My　dear；　the　atmosphere　in　which　you　have　lived　has　distorted　your　vision；'　or；　'You　have　been　told；　my　dear；　that　these　things　were　so！'　　To　tell　her　that　they　were　facts　which　could　be　verified　was　not　the　smallest　good；　for　she　wouldn't　so　much　as　touch　any　publication　connected　with　secularism。〃

〃None　are　so　blind　as　those　who　will　not　see；〃　said　Tom。　　〃They　will　go　on　in　this　way　till　some　great　national　crisis；　some　crash　which　they　can't　ignore；　wakes　them　up　from　their　comfortable　state。　　'It　can't　be　true；'　is　no　doubt　a　capital　narcotic。〃

〃Father　is　at　home；　I　suppose？　　How　do　you　think　he　is？〃

〃Oh；　very　well；　but　fearfully　busy。　　The　'Miracles'　trial　will　probably　come　on　in　November。〃

Erica　sighed。　　There　was　a　silence。　　She　looked　out　rather　sadly　at　the　familiar　Oxford　Street　shops。

〃You　have　not　come　back　approving　of　the　Blasphemy　Laws；　I　hope？〃　said　Tom；　misinterpreting　her　sigh。

Her　eyes　flashed。

〃Of　course　not！〃　she　said；　emphatically。

〃Mr。　Osmond　has；　as　usual；　been　getting　into　hot　water　for　speaking　a　word　on　the　chieftain's　behalf。〃

〃Did　he　speak？　　I　am　glad　of　that；〃　said　Erica；　brightening。　　〃I　expect　Mr。　Pogson's　conduct　will　stir　up　a　good　many　liberal　Christians　into　showing　their　disapproval　of　bigotry　and　injustice。　　Ah！　　Here　is　the　dear　old　square！　　The　statue　looks　ten　degrees　moldier　than　when　I　left！〃

In　fact　everything　looked；　as　Erica　expressed　it；　〃moldier！〃　　〃Persecution　Alley；〃　the　lodging　house；　the　very　chairs　and　tables　seemed　to　obtrude　their　shabbiness　upon　her。　　Not　that　she　cared　in　the　least；　for；　however　shabby；　it　was　home　the　home　that　she　had　longed　for　again　and　again　in　the　luxury　and　ease　of　Greyshot。

Raeburn　looked　up　from　a　huge　law　book　as　she　opened　the　door　of　his　study。

〃Why；　little　son　Eric！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃You　came　so　quietly　that　I　never　heard　you。　　Glad　to　have　you　home　again；　my　child！　　The　room　looks　as　if　it　needed　you；　doesn't　it？〃

Erica　laughed　for　the　study　was　indeed　in　a　state　of　chaos。　　Books　were　stacked　up　on　the　floor；　on　the　mantel　piece；　on　the　chairs；　on　the　very　steps　of　the　book　ladder。　　The　writing　table　was　a　sea　of　papers；　periodicals；　proofs；　and　manuscripts；　upon　which　there　floated　with　much　difficulty　Raeburn's　writing　desk　and　the　book　he　was　reading；　some　slight　depression　in　the　surrounding　mass　of　papers　showing　where　his　elbows　had　been。

〃About　equal　to　Teufelsdroch's　room；　isn't　it？〃　he　said；　smiling。　　〃Everything　united　in　a　common　element　of　dust。'　　But；　really；　after　the　first　terrible　day　of　your　absence；　when　I　wasted　at　least　an　hour　in　hunting　for　things　which　the　tidy　domestic　had　carefully　hidden；　I　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　gave　orders　that　no　one　was　to　bring　brush　or　duster　or　spirit　of　tidiness　within　the　place。〃

〃We　really　must　try　to　get　you　a　larger　room；〃　said　Erica；　looking　round。　　〃How　little　and　poky　everything　looks。〃

〃Has　Greyshot　made　you　discontented？〃

〃Only　for　you；〃　she　replied；　laughing。　　〃I　was　thinking　of　Mr。　Fane…Smith's　great　study；　it　seems　such　a　pity　that　five　foot　three；　with　few　books　and　nothing　to　do；　should　have　all　that　space；　and　six　foot　four；　with　much　work　and　many　books；　be　cramped　up　in　this　little　room。〃

〃What　would　you　say　to　a　move？〃

〃It　will　be　such　an　expensive　year；　and　there's　that　dreadful　Mr。　Pogson　always　in　the　background。〃

〃But　if　a　house　were　given　to　us？　　Where's　Tom？　　I've　a　letter　here　which　concerns　you　both。　　Do　either　of　you　remember　anything　about　an　old　Mr。　Woodward　who　lived　at　16　Guilford　Square？〃

〃Why；　yes！　　Don't　you　remember；　Tom？　　The　old　gentleman　whose　greenhouse　we　smashed。〃

〃Rather！〃　said　Tom。　　〃I've　the　marks　of　the　beastly　thing　now。〃

〃What　was　it？　　Let　me　hear　the　story；〃　said　Raeburn；　leaning　back　in　his　chair　with　a　look　of　amusement　flickering　about　his　rather　stern　face。

〃Why；　father；　it　was　years　ago；　you　were　on　your　first　tour　in　America；　I　must　have　been　about　twelve；　and　Tom　fourteen。　　We　had　only　just　settled　in　here；　you　know；　and　one　unlucky　Saturday　we　were　playing　in　the　garden　at　'King　of　the　Castle。'〃

〃What's　that？〃　asked　Raeburn。

〃Why；　Tom　was　king；　and　I　was　the　Republican　Army；　and　Tom　was　standing　on　the　top　of　the　wall　trying　to　push　me　down。　　He　had　to　sing：

〃'I'm　the　king　of　the　castle！　Get　down；　you　dirty　rascal！'

And　somehow　I　don't　know　how　it　was　instead　of　climbing　up；　I　pushed　him　backward　by　mistake；　and　he　went　down　with　an　awful　crash　into　the　next　garden。　　We　knew　it　was　the　garden　belonging　to　No。　16　quite　a　large　one　it　is　for　the　hospital　hasn't　any。　　And　when　at　last　I　managed　to　scramble　on　to　the　wall；　there　was　Tom；　head　downward；　with　his　feet　sticking　up　through　the　roof　of　a　greenhouse；　and　the　rest　of　him　all　among　the　flower　pots。〃

Raeburn　laughed　heartily。

〃There　was　a　brute　of　a　cactus　jammed　against　my　face；　too；〃　said　Tom。　　〃How　I　ever　got　out　alive　was　a　marvel！〃

〃Well；　what　happened？〃　asked　Raeburn。

〃Why；　we　went　round　to　tell　the　No。　16　people。　　Tom　waited　outside；　because　he　was　so　frightfully　cut　about；　and　I　went　int；　and　saw　an　old；　old　man　a　sort　of　Methusaleh　who　would　ask　my　name；　and　whether　I　had　anything　to　do　with　you。〃

〃What　did　you　say　to　him？〃

〃I　can't　remember　except　that　I　asked　him　to　let　us　pay　for　the　glass　by　installments；　and　tried　to　assure　him　that　secularists　were　not　in　the　habit　of　smashing　other　people's　property。　　He　was　a　very　jolly　old　man；　and　of　course　he　wouldn't　let　us　pay　for　the　glass　though　he　frightened　me　dreadfully　by　muttering　that　he　shouldn't　wonder　if　the　glass　and　the　honesty　combined　cost　him　a　pretty　penny。〃

〃Did　you　ever　see　him　again？〃

〃Not　to　speak　to；　but　we　always　nodded　to　each　other　when　we　passed　in　the　square。　　I've　not　seen　him　for　ages。　　I　thought　he　must　be　dead。〃

〃He　is　dead；〃　said　Raeburn；　〃and　he　has　left　you　three　hundred　pounds；　and　he　has　left　me　his　furnished　house；　with　the　sole　proviso　that　I　live　in　it。〃

〃What　a　brick！〃　cried　Tom　and　Erica；　in　a　breath。　　〃Now　fancy；　if　we　hadn't　played　at　'King　of　the　Castle'　that　day！〃

〃And　if