the mansion-第4节

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name　

and　his　principles　in　his　son。　　It　was　a　bitter　disappointment；　

and　he　felt　that　he　had　not　deserved　it。



He　rose　from　the　chair　and　paced　the　room　with　leaden　feet。　　

For　the　first　time　in　his　life　his　age　was　visibly　upon　him。　　

His　head　was　heavy　and　hot；　and　the　thoughts　that　rolled　in　it　

were　confused　and　depressing。　　Could　it　be　that　he　had　made　a

mistake　

in　the　principles　of　his　existence？　　There　was　no　argument　in　

what　Harold　had　saidit　was　almost　childishand　yet　

it　had　shaken　the　elder　man　more　deeply　than　he　cared　to　show。　　

It　held　a　silent　attack　which　touched　him　more　than　open

criticism。



Suppose　the　end　of　his　life　were　nearer　than　he　thoughtthe　end　

must　come　some　timewhat　if　it　were　now？　　Had　he　not　

founded　his　house　upon　a　rock？　　Had　he　not　kept　the　Commandments？　



Was　he　not；　〃touching　the　law；　blameless〃？　　And　beyond　this；　

even　if　there　were　some　faults　in　his　characterand　all　men　are

sinners

yet　he　surely　believed　in　the　saving　doctrines　of　religionthe

forgiveness

of　sins；　the　resurrection　of　the　body；　the　life　everlasting。　　

Yes；　that　was　the　true　source　of　comfort；　after　all。　　He　would

read　a　bit

in　the　Bible；　as　he　did　every　night；　and　go　to　bed　and　to　sleep。



He　went　back　to　his　chair　at　the　library　table。　　A　strange　weight

of

weariness　rested　upon　him；　but　he　opened　the　book　at　a　familiar

place；　

and　his　eyes　fell　upon　the　verse　at　the　bottom　of　the　page。



〃Lay　not　up　for　yourselves　treasures　upon　earth。〃



That　had　been　the　text　of　the　sermon　a　few　weeks　before。　　

Sleepily；　heavily；　he　tried　to　fix　his　mind　upon　it　and　recall

it。　　

What　was　it　that　Doctor　Snodgrass　had　said？　　Ah；　yesthat　it　was



a　mistake　to　pause　here　in　reading　the　verse。　　We　must　read　on

without　

a　pauseLay　not　up　treasures　upon　earth　where　moth　and　rust　do

corrupt　

and　where　thieves　break　through　and　stealthat　was　the　true

doctrine。　　

We　may　have　treasures　upon　earth；　but　they　must　not　be　put　into　

unsafe　places；　but　into　safe　places。　　A　most　comforting　doctrine！　



He　had　always　followed　it。　　Moths　and　rust　and　thieves　had　done

no　harm　

to　his　investments。



John　Weightman's　drooping　eyes　turned　to　the　next　verse；　

at　the　top　of　the　second　column。



〃But　lay　up　for　yourselves　treasures　in　heaven。〃



Now　what　had　the　Doctor　said　about　that？　　How　was　it　to　

be　understoodin　what　sensetreasuresin　heaven？



The　book　seemed　to　float　away　from　him。　　The　light　vanished。　　

He　wondered　dimly　if　this　could　be　Death；　coming　so　suddenly；　so

quietly；

so　irresistibly。　　He　struggled　for　a　moment　to　hold　himself　up；　

and　then　sank　slowly　forward　upon　the　table。　　His　head　rested

upon　

his　folded　hands。　　He　slipped　into　the　unknown。



How　long　afterward　conscious　life　returned　to　him　he　did　not

know。　　

The　blank　might　have　been　an　hour　or　a　century。　　He　knew　only

that　

omething　had　happened　in　the　interval。　　What　is　was　he　could　not

tell。　　

He　found　great　difficulty　in　catching　the　thread　of　his　identity

again。　　

He　felt　that　he　was　himself；　but　the　trouble　was　to　make　his

connections；　

to　verify　and　place　himself；　to　know　who　and　where　he　was。



At　last　it　grew　clear。　　John　Weightman　was　sitting　on　a　stone；　

not　far　from　a　road　in　a　strange　land。



The　road　was　not　a　formal　highway；　fenced　and　graded。　　It　was

more　like　

a　great　travel…trace；　worn　by　thousands　of　feet　passing　across　

the　open　country　in　the　same　direction。　　Down　in　the　valley；　

into　which　he　could　look；　the　road　seemed　to　form　itself

gradually　out　of　

many　minor　paths；　little　footways　coming　across　the　meadows；　

winding　tracks　following　along　beside　the　streams；　faintly　marked

trails

emerging　from　the　woodlands。　　But　on　the　hillside　the　threads

were　more

firmly　woven　into　one　clear　band　of　travel；　though　there　were

still　

a　few　dim　paths　joining　it　here　and　there；　as　if　persons　had　been



climbing　up　the　hill　by　other　ways　and　had　turned　at　last　to　seek

the　road。



From　the　edge　of　the　hill；　where　John　Weightman　sat；　he　could　see



the　travelers；　in　little　groups　or　larger　companies；　gathering

from　

time　to　time　by　the　different　paths；　and　making　the　ascent。　　

They　were　all　clothed　in　white；　and　the　form　of　their　garments

was　

strange　to　him；　it　was　like　some　old　picture。　　They　passed　him；　

group　after　group；　talking　quietly　together　or　singing；　not

moving　

in　haste；　but　with　a　certain　air　of　eagerness　and　joy　as　if　they

were　

glad　to　be　on　their　way　to　an　appointed　place。　　They　did　not　stay

to　

speak　to　him；　but　they　looked　at　him　often　and　spoke　to　one

another　

as　they　looked；　and　now　and　then　one　of　them　would　smile　and　

beckon　him　a　friendly　greeting；　so　that　he　felt　they　would　like

him　

to　be　with　them。



There　was　quite　an　interval　between　the　groups；　and　he　followed　

each　of　them　with　his　eyes　after　it　had　passed；　blanching　the　

long　ribbon　of　the　road　for　a　little　transient　space；　rising　and

receding

across　the　wide；　billowy　upland；　among　the　rounded　hillocks　of　

aerial　green　and　gold　and　lilac；　until　it　came　to　the　high

horizon；　

and　stood　outlined　for　a　moment；　a　tiny　cloud　of　whiteness

against　

the　tender　blue；　before　it　vanished　over　the　hill。



For　a　long　time　he　sat　there　watching　and　wondering。　　It　was　

a　very　different　world　from　that　in　which　his　mansion　on　the

Avenue　

was　built；　and　it　looked　strange　to　him；　but　most　realas　real

as　

anything　he　had　ever　seen。　　Presently　he　felt　a　strong　desire　

to　know　what　country　it　was　and　where　the　people　were　going。　　

He　had　a　faint　premonition　of　what　it　must　be；　but　he　wished　to

be　sure。　　

So　he　rose　from　the　stone　where　he　was　sitting；　and　came　down

through　

the　short　grass　and　the　lavender　flowers；　toward　a　passing　group

of　people。

One　of　them　turned　to　meet　him；　and　held　out　his　hand。　　It　was　an

old　man；

under　whose　white　beard　and　brows　John　Weightman　thought　he　saw　

a　suggestion　of　the　face　of　the　village　doctor　who　had　cared　for

him　

years　ago；　when　he　was　a　boy　in　the　country。



〃Welcome；〃　said　the　old　man。　　〃Will　you　come　with　us？〃



〃Where　are　you　going？〃



〃To　the　heavenly　city；　to　see　our　mansions　there。〃



〃And　who　are　these　with　you？〃



〃Strangers　to　me；　until　a　little　while　ago；　I　know　them　better

now。　　

But　you　I　have　known　for　a　long　time；　John　Weightman。　　Don't　you

remember

your　old　doctor？〃



〃Yes；〃　he　cried〃yes；　your　voice　has　not　changed　at　all。　　

I'm　glad　indeed　to　see　you；　Doctor　McLean；　especially　now。　　

All　this　seems　very　strange　to　me；　almost　oppressive。　　

I　wonder　ifbut　may　I　go　with　you；　do　you　suppose？〃



〃Surely；〃　answered　the　doctor；　with　his　familiar　smile；　〃it　will　

do　you　good。　　And　you　also　must　have　a　mansion　in　the　city

waiting　

for　youa　fine　one；　tooare　you　not　looking　forward　to　it？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　other；　hesitating　a　moment；　〃yesI　believe　

it　must　be　so；　although　I　had　not　expected　to　see　it　so　soon。　　

But　I　will　go　with　you；　and　we　can　talk　by　the　way。〃



The　two　men　quickly　caught　up　with　the　other　people；　and　all　went

forward

together　along　the　road。　　The　doctor　had　little　to　tell　of　his

experience；

for　it　had　been　a　plain；　hard　life；　uneventfully　spent　for

others；　

and　the　story　of　the　village　was　very　simple。　　John　Weightman's

adventures

and　triumphs　would　have　made　a　far　richer；　more　imposing　history；



full　of　contacts　with　the　great　events　and　personages　of　the

time。　　

But　somehow　or　other　he　did　not　care　to　speak　much　about　it；　

walking　on　that　wide　heavenly　moorland；　under　that　tranquil；　

sunless　arch　of　blue；　in　that　free　air　of　perfect　peace；　where

the　light

was　diffused　without　a　shadow；　as　if　the　spirit　of　life　in　all

things　

were　luminous。



There　was　only　one　person　besides　the　doctor　in　that　little

company　whom

John　Weightman　had　known　beforean　old　bookkeeper　who　had　spent

his　life

over　a　desk；　carefully　keeping　accountsa　rusty；　dull　little

man；　

patient　and　narrow；　whose　wife　had　been　in　the　insane　asylum　for　

twenty　years　and　whose　only　child　was　a　crippled　daughter；　for

whose

comfort　and　happiness　he　had　toiled　and　sacrificed　himself

without　stint。　

It　was　a　surprise　to　find　him　here；　as　care…free　and　joyful　as

the　rest。



The　lives　of　others　in　the　company　were　revealed　in　brief

glimpses　

as　they　talked　togethera　mother；　early　widowed；　who　had　kept　

her　little　flock　of　children　together　and　labored　through　hard

and　heavy

years　to　bring　them　up　in　purity　and　knowledgea　Sister　of

Charity　

who　had　devoted　herself　to　the　nursing　of　poor　folk　who　were

being　

eaten　to　death　by　cancera　schoolmaster　whose　heart　and　life　

had　been　poured　into　his　quiet　work　of　training　boys　for　a　clean

and　

thoughtful　manhooda　medical　missionary　who　had　given　up　

a　brilliant　career　in　science　to　take　the　charge　of　a　hospital