we two-第83章

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〃From　another　admirer　of　'Hiawatha。'〃　There　could　be　no　doubt　that　Brian　had　written　that。　　Had　he　cared　for　her　so　long？　　Had　he　indeed　loved　her　all　these　years？　　She　was　interrupted　by　the　maid　bringing　in　the　tea。

〃Mr。　Bircham's　boy　is　here；　miss；　and　if　you　please；　　can　cook　speak　to　you　a　minute？〃

Erica　put　down　the　Longfellow　and　rolled　up　〃Cremation。〃

〃I'm　sure　she's　going　to　give　warning！〃　she　thought　to　herself。　　〃What　a　day　to　choose　for　it！　　That's　what　I　call　an　anti…climax。〃

Her　forebodings　proved　all　too　true。　　In　a　minute　more　in　walked　the　cook；　with　the　sort　of　conscious　dignity　of　bearing　which　means　〃I　am　no　longer　in　your　service。〃

〃If　you　please；　miss；　I　wish　to　leave　this　day　month。〃

〃I　shall　be　sorry　to　lose　you；〃　said　Erica；　〃what　are　your　reasons　for　leaving？〃

〃I've　not　been　used；　miss；　to　families　as　is　in　the　law　courts。　　I've　been　used　to　the　best　West　End　private　families。〃

〃I　don't　see　how　it　can　affect　you；〃　said　Erica；　feeling；　in　spite　of　her　annoyance；　much　inclined　to　laugh。

〃Indeed；　miss；　and　it　do。　　There's　not　a　tradesman's　boy　but　has　his　joke　or　his　word　about　Mr。　Raeburn；〃　said　the　cook　in　an　injured　voice。　　〃And　last　Sunday　when　I　went　to　the　minister　to　show　my　lines；　he　said　a　member　ought　to　be　ashamed　to　take　service　with　a　hatheist　and　that　I　was　in　an　'ouse　of　'ell。　　Those　was　his　very　words；　miss；　an　'ouse　of　'ell；　he　said。〃

〃Then　it　was　exceedingly　impertinent　of　him；〃　said　Erica；　〃for　he　knew　nothing　whatever　about　it。〃

After　that　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　accept　the　resignation；　and　to　begin　once　more　the　weary　search　for　that　rara　avis；　〃a　good　plain　cook。〃

Her　interview　had　only　just　ended　when　she　heard　the　front　door　open。　　She　listened　intently；　but　apparently　it　was　only　Tom；　he　came　upstairs　singing　a　refrain　with　which　just　then　she　quite　agreed：

'LAW；　　law　　Rhymes　very　well　with　jaw；　If　you're　fond　of　litigation；　And　sweet　procrastination；　Latin　and　botheration；　I　advise　you　to　go　to　law。〃

〃Halloo！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃So　you　did　get　home　all　right？　　I　like　your　way　of　acting　Casabianca！　　The　chieftain　sent　me　tearing　out　after　you；　and　when　I　got　there；　you　had　vanished！〃

〃Brian　came　up　just　then；〃　said　Erica；　〃and　I　thought　it　better　not　to　wait。　　Oh；　here　comes　father。〃

Raeburn　entered　as　she　spoke。　　No　one　who　saw　him　would　have　guessed　that　he　was　an　overworked；　overworried　man；　for　his　face　was　a　singularly　peaceful　one；　serene　with　the　serenity　of　a　strong　nature　convinced　of　its　own　integrity。　

〃Got　some　tea　for　us；　Eric？〃　he　asked；　throwing　himself　back　in　a　chair　beside　the　fire。

Some　shade　of　trouble　in　her　face；　invisible　to　any　eye　but　that　of　a　parent；　made　him　watch　her　intently；　while　a　new　hope　which　made　his　heart　beat　more　quickly　sprang　up　within　him。　　Christians　had　not　shown　up　well　that　day；　prosecuting　and　persecuting　Christians　are　the　most　repulsive　beings　on　earth！　　Did　she　begin　to　feel　a　flaw　in　the　system　she　had　professed　belief　in？　　Might　she　by　this　injustice　come　to　realize　that　she　had　unconsciously　cheated　herself　into　a　belief？　　If　such　things　might　win　her　back　to　him；　might　bridge　over　that　miserable　gulf　between　them；　then　welcome　any　trouble；　any　persecution；　welcome　even　ruin　itself。

But　had　he　been　able　to　see　into　Erica's　heart；　he　would　have　learned　that　the　grief　which　had　left　its　traces　on　her　face　was　the　grief　of　knowing　that　such　days　as　these　strengthened　and　confirmed　him　in　his　atheism。　　Erica　was　indeed　ever　confronted　with　one　of　the　most　baffling　of　all　baffling　mysteries。　　How　was　it　that　a　man　of　such　grand　capacities；　a　man　with　so　many　noble　qualities；　yet　remained　in　the　darkness？　　One　day　she　put　that　question　sadly　enough　to　Charles　Osmond。

〃Not　darkness；　child；　none　of　your　honest　secularists　who　live　up　to　their　creed　are　in　darkness；〃　he　replied。　　〃However　mistakenly；　they　do　try　to　promote　what　they　consider　the　general　good。　　Were　you　in　such　absolute　blackness　before　last　summer？〃

〃There　was　the　love　of　Humanity；〃　said　Erica　musingly。

〃Yes；　and　what　is　that　but　a　ray　of　the　light　of　life　promised　to　all　who；　to　any　extent；　follow　Christ？　　It　is　only　the　absolutely　selfish　who　are　in　the　black　shadow。　　The　honest　atheist　is　in　the　penumbra；　and　in　his　twilight　sees　a　little　bit　of　the　true　sun；　though　he　calls　it　Humanity　instead　of　Christ。〃

〃Oh；　if　the　shadows　would　but　go！〃　exclaimed　Erica。

〃Would！〃　he　said；　laughing　gently。　　〃Why；　child；　they　will；　they　must！〃

〃But　now；　I　mean！　　'Here　down；'　as　Mazzini　would　have　said。〃

〃You　were　ever　an　impatient　little　mortal。〃

〃How　can　one　help　being　impatient　for　this；〃　she　said　with　a　quick　sigh。

〃That　is　what　I　used　to　say　myself　seven　years　ago　over　you；〃　he　said　smiling。　〃But　I　learned　that　the　Father　knew　best；　and　that　if　we　would　work　with　Him　we　must　wait　with　Him　too。　　You　musn't　waste　your　strength　in　impatience；　child；　you　need　every　bit　of　it　for　the　life　before　you。〃

But　patience　did　not　come　by　nature　to　a　Raeburn；　and　Erica　did　not　gain　it　in　a　day　even　by　grace。


CHAPTER　XXXII。　Fiesole

And　yet；　because　I　love　thee；　I　obtain　From　that　same　love　this　vindicating　grace；　To　live　on　still　in　love；　and　yet　in　vain；　To　bless　thee；　yet　renounce　thee　to　thy　face。　　E。　B。　Browning。

Much　has　been　said　and　written　about　the　monotony　of　unalloyed　pleasure；　and　the　necessity　of　shadows　and　dark　places　in　life　as　well　as　in　pictured　landscape。　　And　certainly　there　can　be　but　few　in　this　world　of　stern　realities　who　would　dispute　the　fact　that　pleasure　is　doubled　by　its　contrast　with　preceding　pain。　　Perhaps　it　was　the　vividness　of　this　contrast　that　made　Raeburn　and　Erica　enjoy；　with　a　perfect　rapture　of　enjoyment；　a　beautiful　view　and　a　beautiful　spring　day　in　Italy。　　Behind　them　lay　a　very　sombre　past；　they　had　escaped　for　a　brief　moment　from　the　atmosphere　of　strife；　from　the　world　of　controversy；　from　the　scorching　breath　of　slander；　from　the　baleful　influences　of　persecution　and　injustice。　　Before　them　lay　the　fairest　of　all　the　cities　of　Italy。　　They　were　sitting　in　the　Boboli　gardens；　and　from　wooded　heights　looked　down　upon　that　loveliest　of　Italian　valleys。

The　silver　Arno　wound　its　way　between　the　green　encircling　hills；　then　between　the　old　houses　of　Florence；　its　waters　spanned　now　by　a　light　suspension　bridge　token　of　modern　times　now　by　old　brown　arches　strengthened　and　restored；　now　by　the　most　venerable　looking　of　all　the　bridges；　the　Ponte　Vecchio；　with　its　double　row　of　little　shops。　　Into　the　cloudless　blue　sky　rose　the　pinnacles　of　Santa　Croce；　the　domes　of　San　Spirito；　of　the　Baptistery；　of　the　Cathedral；　sharply　defined　in　the　clear　atmosphere　were　the　airy；　light　Campanile　of　Giotto；　the　more　slender　brown　tower　of　the　Palazzo　Vecchio；　the　spire　of　Santa　Maria　Novella。　　Northward　beyond　the　city　rose　the　heights　of　Fiesole；　and　to　the　east　the　green　hills　dotted　all　over　with　white　houses；　swept　away　into　the　unseen　distance。

Raeburn　had　been　selected　as　the　English　delegate　to　attend　a　certain　political　gathering　held　that　year　at　Florence。　　He　had　at　first　hesitated　to　accept　the　post　for　his　work　at　home　had　enormously　increased；　but　the　long　months　of　wearing　anxiety　had　so　told　upon　him　that　his　friends　had　at　length　persuaded　him　to　go；　fully　aware　that　the　only　chance　of　inducing　him　to　take　any　rest　was　to　get　him　out　of　the　region　of　work。

The　〃Miracles〃　trial　was　at　length　over；　but　Mr。　Pogson　had　not　obtained　the　desire　of　his　heart；　namely；　the　imprisonment　and　fining　of　Luke　Raeburn。　　The　only　results　of　the　trial　were　the　extensive　advertisement　of　the　pamphlet　in　question；　a　great　increase　of　bitterness　on　each　side；　and　a　great　waste　of　money。　　Erica's　sole　consolation　lay　in　the　fact　that　a　few　of　the　more　liberal　thinkers　were　beginning　to　see　the　evil　and　to　agitate　for　a　repeal　of　the　Blasphemy　Laws。　　As　for　the　action　for　libel；　there　was　no　chance　of　its　coming　on　before　June；　and　in　the　meantime　Mr。　Pogson's　letter　was　obtaining　a　wider　circulation；　and　perhaps；　on　the　whole；　Luke　Raeburn　was　just　at　that　time　the　best…abused　man　in　all　England。

There　had　been　a　long　silence　between　the　father　and　daughter　who