we two-第75章

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〃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　handed　over　this　part　of　his　work　to　some　one　else；　and　devoted　himself　entirely　to　national　work。

He　had　been　away　from　home　for　several　days；　lecturing　in　the　north　of　England。　　Erica　was　not　expecting　his　return　till　the　following　day；　when　one　evening　a　telegram　was　brought　in　to　her。　　It　was　from　her　father　to　this　effect：

〃Expect　me　home　by　mail　train　about　two　A。M。　　Place　too　hot　to　hold　me。〃

He　had　now　to　a　great　extent　lived　down　the　opposition　which　had　made　lecturing　in　his　younger　days　a　matter　of　no　small　risk　to　life　and　limb；　but　Erica　knew　that　there　were　reasons　which　made　the　people　of　Ashborough　particularly　angry　with　him　just　now。　　Ashborough　was　one　of　those　strange　towns　which　can　never　be　depended　upon。　　It　was　renowned　for　its　riots；　and　was；　in　fact　（to　use　a　slang　word）　a　〃rowdy〃　place。　　More　than　once　in　the　old　days　Raeburn　had　been　roughly　handled　there；　and　Erica　bore　a　special　grudge　to　it；　for　it　was　the　scene　of　her　earliest　recollection　one　of　those　dark　pictures　which；　having　been　indelibly　traced　on　the　heart　of　a　child；　influence　the　whole　character　and　the　future　life　far　more　than　some　people　think。　

It　was　perhaps　old　memory　which　made　her　waiting　so　anxious　that　evening。　　Moreover；　she　had　at　first　no　one　to　talk　to；　which　made　it　much　worse。　　Aunt　Jean　had　gone　to　bed　with　a　bad　toothache；　and　must　on　no　account　be　disturbed；　and　Tom　had　suddenly　announced　his　intention　that　morning　of　going　down　to　Brighton　on　his　bicycle；　and　had　set　off；　rather　to　Erica's　dismay；　since；　in　a　letter　to　Charles　Osmond；　Donovan　happened　to　have　mentioned　that　the　Fane…Smiths　had　taken　a　house　there　for　six　weeks。　　She　hated　herself　for　being　suspicious；　but　Tom　had　been　so　unlike　himself　since　Rose's　visit；　and　it　was　such　an　unheard…of　thing　that　he　should　take　a　day's　holiday　during　her　father's　absence；　that　it　was　scarcely　possible　to　avoid　drawing　the　natural　inference。　　She　was　very　unhappy　about　him；　but　did　not　of　course　feel　justified　in　saying　a　word　to　any　one　else　about　the　matter。　　Charles　Osmond　happened　to　look　in　for　a　few　minutes　later　on；　expecting　to　find　Raeburn　at　home；　and　then　in　her　relief　she　did　give　him　an　account　of　the　unfortunate　Sunday　though　avoiding　all　mention　of　Tom。

〃It　was　just　like　you　to　come　at　the　very　time　I　was　wanting　some　one　to　talk　to；〃　she　said；　sitting　down　in　her　favorite　nook　on　the　hearth　rug　with　Friskie　on　her　lap。　　〃Not　a　word　has　been　said　of　that　miserable　Sunday　since　though　I'm　afraid　a　good　deal　has　been　thought。　　After　all；　you　know；　there　was　a　ludicrous　side　to　it　as　well。　　I　shall　never　forget　the　look　of　them　all　when　Rose　and　I　came　down　again：　Mr。　Fane…Smith　standing　there　by　the　table；　the　very　incarnation　of　contemptuous　anger；　and　father　just　here；　looking　like　a　tired　thunder　cloud！　　But；　though　one　laughs　at　one　aspect　of　it；　one　could　cry　one's　eyes　out　over　the　thing　as　a　whole　indeed；　just　now　I　find　myself　agreeing　with　Mr。　Tulliver　that　it's　a　'puzzling　world。'〃

〃The　fact　is；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　〃that　you　consent　patiently　enough　to　share　God's　pain　over　those　who　don't　believe　in　Him；　but　you　grumble　sorely　at　finding　a　lack　of　charity　in　the　world；　yet　that　pain　is　God's　too。〃

〃Yes；〃　sighed　Erica；　〃but　somehow　from　Christians　it　seems　so　hard！〃

〃Quite　true；　child；〃　he　replied；　half　absently。　　〃It　is　hard　most　hard。　　But　don't　let　it　make　you　uncharitable；　Erica。　　You　are　sharing　God；'s　pain；　but　remember　it　is　only　His　perfect　love　which　makes　that　pain　bearable。〃

〃I　do　find　it　hard　to　love　bigots；〃　said　Erica；　sighing。　　〃They！　　What　do　they　know　about　the　thousand　difficulties　which　have　driven　people　into　secularism？　　If　they　could　but　see　that　they　and　their　narrow　theories　and　their　false　distortions　of　Christ's　Gospel　are　the　real　cause　of　it　all；　there　would　be　some　hope！　　But　they　either　can't　see　it　or　won't。〃

〃My　dear；　we're　all　a　lot　of　blind　puppies　together；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃We　tumble　up　against　each　other　just　for　want　of　eyes。　　We　shall　see　when　we　get　to　the　end　of　the　nine　days；　you　know。〃

〃You　see　now；〃　said　Erica；　〃you　never　hurt　us；　and　rub　us　the　wrong　way。〃

〃Perhaps　not；〃　he　replied；　laughing。　　〃But　Mr。　Roberts　and　some　of　my　other　brethren　would　tell　a　different　tale。　　By　the　bye；　would　you　care　to　help　another　befogged　mortal　who　is　in　the　region　　you　are　safely　out　of？　　The　evolution　theory　is　the　difficulty；　and；　if　you　have　time　to　enter　into　his　trouble；　I　think　you　could　help　him　much　better　than　I　can。　　If　I　could　see　him；　I　might　tackle　him；　but　I　can't　do　it　on　paper。　　You　could；　I　think；　and；　as　the　fellow　lives　at　the　other　side　of　the　world；　one　can　do　nothing　except　by　correspondence。〃

Erica　was　delighted　to　undertake　the　task；　and　she　was　particularly　well　fitted　for　it。　　Perhaps　no　one　is　really　qualified　for　the　post　of　a　clearer　of　doubts　who　has　not　himself　faced　and　conquered　doubts　of　a　similar　nature。

So　there　was　a　new　interest　for　her　on　that　long；　lonely　evening；　and；　as　she　waited　for　her　father's　return；　she　had　time　to　think　out　quietly　the　various　points　which　she　would　first　take　up。　　By　and　by　she　slept　a　little；　and　then；　in　the　silence　of　the　night；　crept　down　to　the　lower　regions　to　add　something　to　the　tempting　little　supper　which　she　had　ready　in　the　green　room。　　But　time　crept　on；　and　in　the　silence　she　could　hear　dozens　of　clocks　telling　each　hour；　and　the　train　had　been　long　due；　and　still　her　father　did　not　come。

At　last　she　became　too　anxious　to　read　or　think　to　any　purpose；　she　drew　aside　the　curtain；　and；　in　spite　of　the　cold；　curled　herself　upon　the　window　seat　with　her　face　pressed　close　to　the　glass。　　Watching；　in　a　literal　sense；　was　impossible；　for　there　was　a　dense　fog；　if　possible；　worse　than　the　fog　of　the　preceding　Saturday；　but　she　had　the　feeling　that　to　be　by　the　window　made　her　in　some　unaccountable　way　nearer　to　her　father；　and　it　certainly　had　the　effect　of　showing　her　that　there　was　a　very　good　reason　for　unpunctuality。

The　old　square　was　as　quiet　as　death。　　Once　a　policeman　raised　her　hopes　for　a　minute　by　pacing　slowly　up　the　pavement；　but　he　passed　on；　and　all　was　still　once　more　except　that　every　now　and　then　the　furniture　in　the　room　creaked；　making　the　eerie　stillness　all　the　more　noticeable。　　Erica　began　to　shiver　a　little；　more　from　apprehension　than　from　cold。　　She　wished　the　telegram　had　come　from　any　other　town　in　England；　and　tried　in　vain　not　to　conjure　up　a　hundred　horrible　visions　of　possible　catastrophes。　　At　length　she　heard　steps　in　the　distance；　and　straining　her　eyes　to　penetrate　the　thick　darkness　of　the　murky　night；　was　able　to　make　out　just　beneath　the　window　a　sort　of　yellow　glare。　　She　ran　downstairs　at　full　speed　to　open　the　door；　and　there　upon　the　step　stood　a　link…boy；　the　tawny　light　from　his　torch　showing　up　to　perfection　the　magnificent　proportions　of　the　man　in　a　shaggy　brown　Inverness；　who　stood　beside　him；　and　bringing　into　strong　relief　the　masses　of　white　hair　and　the　rugged　Scottish　face　which；　spite　of　cold　and　great　weariness；　bore　its　usual　expression　of　philosophic　calm。

〃I　thought　you　were　never　coming；〃　said　Erica。　　〃Why；　you　must　be　half　frozen！　　What　a　night　it　is！〃

〃We've　been　more　than　an　hour　groping　our　way　from　the　station；〃　said　Raeburn；　〃and　cabs　were　unattainable。〃　　Then；　turning　to　the　link…boy；　〃Come　in；　you　are　as　cold　and　hungry　as　I　am。　　Have　you　got　something　hot；　Eric？〃

〃Soup　and　coffee；〃　said　Erica。　　〃Which　would　he　like　best？〃

The　boy　gave　his　vote　for　soup；　and；　having　seen　him　thoroughly　satisfied　and　well　paid；　they　sent　him　home；　and　to　his　dying　day　he　was　proud　to　tell　the　story　of　the　foggy　night　when　the　people's　tribune　had　given　him　half　of　his　own　supper。　　The　father　and　daughter　were　soon　comfortably　installed　beside　the　green　room　fire；　Raeburn　making　a　hearty　meal　though　it　was　past　three　o'clock。

〃I　never　dreamed　of　finding　you　up；　little　son　Eric；〃　he　said　when　the　warmth　and　the　food　had　revived　him。　　〃I　only　telegraphed　for　fear　you　should　lock　up　for　the　night　and　leave　me　to　shiver　unknown　on　the　doorstep。〃

〃But　what　happened？〃　asked　Erica。　　〃Why　couldn't　you　lecture？〃

〃Ashborough　had　worked　itself　up　into　one　of　its　tumults；　and　the　fools　of　authorities　thought　it　would　excite　a　breach　of　the　peace；　which　was　excited　quite　as　much　and　probably　more　by　my　not　lecturing。　　But　I'm　not　going　to　be　beaten！　　I　shall　go　down　there　again　in　a　few　weeks。〃

〃Was　there　any　rioting？〃

〃Well；　there　was　a　roughish　mob；　who　prevented　my　eating　my　dinner　in　peace；　and　pursued　me　even　into　my　bedroom；　and　some　of　the　Ashborough　lambs　were　kind　enough　to　overturn　my　cab　as　I　was　going　to　the　station。　　But；　having　escaped　with　nothing　worse　than　a　shaking；　I'll　forgive　them　for　that。　　The　fact　is　they　had　burned　me　in　effigy　on　the　5th　and　had　so　much　enjoyed　the　ceremony　that；　when　the　original　turned　up；　they　really　couldn't　be　civil　to　him；　it　would　have　been　so　very　tame。　　I'm　told　the　effigy　was　such　a　fearful…looking　monster　that　it　frightened　the　bairnies　out　of　their　wits；　specially　as　it　was　first　carried　all　round