david elginbrod-第42节

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requesting　an　explanation。




CHAPTER　XII。

A　SUNDAY。

A　man　may　be　a　heretic　in　the　truth；　and　if　he　believe　things　only
because　his　pastor　says　so；　or　the　assembly　so　determines；　without
knowing　other　reason；　though　his　belief　be　true；　yet　the　very　truth
he　holds　becomes　his　heresy。MILTON。Areopagitica。


At　length　the　expected　visitors　arrived。　　Hugh　saw　nothing　of　them
till　they　assembled　for　dinner。　　Mrs。　Elton　was　a　benevolent　old
ladynot　old　enough　to　give　in　to　being　oldrather　tall；　and
rather　stout；　in　rich　widow…costume；　whose　depth　had　been　moderated
by　time。　　Her　kindly　grey　eyes　looked　out　from　a　calm　face；　which
seemed　to　have　taken　comfort　from　loving　everybody　in　a　mild　and
moderate　fashion。　　Lady　Emily　was　a　slender　girl；　rather　shy；　with
fair　hair；　and　a　pale　innocent　face。　　She　wore　a　violet　dress；　which
put　out　her　blue　eyes。　　She　showed　to　no　advantage　beside　the
suppressed　glow　of　life　which　made　Euphra　look　like　a　tropical
twilightI　am　aware　there　is　no　such　thing；　but　if　there　were；　it
would　be　just　like　her。

Mrs。　Elton　seemed　to　have　concentrated　the　motherhood　of　her　nature；
which　was　her　most　prominent　characteristic；　notwithstandingor
perhaps　in　virtue　ofher　childlessness；　upon　Lady　Emily。　　To　her
Mrs。　Elton　was　solicitously　attentive；　and　she；　on　her　part；
received　it　all　sweetly　and　gratefully；　taking　no　umbrage　at　being
treated　as　more　of　an　invalid　than　she　was。

Lady　Emily　ate　nothing　but　chicken；　and　custard…pudding　or　rice；　all
the　time　she　was　at　Arnstead。

The　richer　and　more　seasoned　any　dish；　the　more　grateful　it　was　to
Euphra。

Mr。　Arnold　was　a　saddle…of…mutton　man。

Hugh　preferred　roast…beef；　but　ate　anything。

〃What　sort　of　a　clergyman　have　you　now；　Mr。　Arnold？〃　asked　Mrs。
Elton；　at　the　dinner…table。

〃Oh！　a　very　respectable　young　gentleman；　brother　to　Sir　Richard；　who
has　the　gift；　you　know。　　A　very　moderate；　excellent　clergyman　he
makes；　too！〃

〃All！　but　you　know；　Lady　Emily　and　I〃here　she　looked　at　Lady
Emily；　who　smiled　and　blushed　faintly；　〃are　very　dependent　on　our
Sundays；　and〃

〃We　all　go　to　church　regularly；　I　assure　you；　Mrs。　Elton；　and　of
course　my　carriage　shall　be　always　at　your　disposal。〃

〃I　was　in　no　doubt　about　either　of　those　things；　indeed；　Mr。　Arnold。
But　what　sort　of　a　preacher　is　he？〃

〃Ah；　well！　let　me　see。What　was　the　subject　of　his　sermon　last
Sunday；　Euphra；　my　dear？〃

〃The　devil　and　all　his　angels；〃　answered　Euphra；　with　a　wicked　flash
in　her　eyes。

〃Yes；　yes；　so　it　was。　　Oh！　　I　assure　you；　Mrs。　Elton；　he　is　quite　a
respectable　preacher；　as　well　as　clergyman。　　He　is　an　honour　to　the
cloth。〃

Hugh　could　not　help　thinking　that　the　tailor　should　have　his　due；
and　that　Mr。　Arnold　gave　it　him。

〃He　is　no　Puseyite　either；〃　added　Mr。　Arnold；　seeing　but　not
understanding　Mrs。　Elton's　baffled　expression；　〃though　he　does
preach　once　a　month　in　his　surplice。〃

〃I　am　afraid　you　will　not　find　him　very　original；　though；〃　said
Hugh；　wishing　to　help　the　old　lady。

〃Original！〃　interposed　Mr。　Arnold。　〃Really；　I　am　bound　to　say　I
don't　know　how　the　remark　applies。　　How　is　a　man　to　be　original　on　a
subject　that　is　all　laid　down　in　plain　printto　use　a　vulgar
expressionand　has　been　commented　upon　for　eighteen　hundred　years
and　more？〃

〃Very　true；　Mr。　Arnold；〃　responded　Mrs。　Elton。　〃We　don't　want
originality；　do　we？　　It　is　only　the　gospel　we　want。　　Does　he　preach
the　gospel？〃

〃How　can　he　preach　anything　else？　　His　text　is　always　out　of　some
part　of　the　Bible。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　hold　by　the　Inspiration　of　the　Scriptures；　Mr。
Arnold；〃　said　Mrs。　Elton；　chaotically　bewildered。

〃Good　heavens！　　Madam；　what　do　you　mean？　　Could　you　for　a　moment
suppose　me　to　be　an　atheist？　　Surely　you　have　not　become　a　student
of　German　Neology？〃　　And　Mr。　Arnold　smiled　a　grim　smile。

〃Not　I；　indeed！〃　protested　poor　Mrs。　Elton；　moving　uneasily　in　her
seat；〃I　quite　agree　with　you；　Mr。　Arnold。〃

〃Then　you　may　take　my　word　for　it；　that　you　will　hear　nothing　but
what　is　highly　orthodox；　and　perfectly　worthy　of　a　gentleman　and　a
clergyman；　from　the　pulpit　of　Mr。　Penfold。　　He　dined　with　us　only
last　week。〃

This　last　assertion　was　made　in　an　injured　tone；　just　sufficient　to
curl　the　tail　of　the　sentence。　　After　which；　what　was　to　be　said？

Several　vain　attempts　followed；　before　a　new　subject　was　started；
sufficiently　uninteresting　to　cause；　neither　from　warmth　nor
stupidity；　any　danger　of　dissension；　and　quite　worthy　of　being　here
omitted。

Dinner　over；　and　the　ceremony　of　teain　Lady　Emily's　case；　milk　and
waterhaving　been　observed；　the　visitors　withdrew。

The　next　day　was　Sunday。　　Lady　Emily　came　down　stairs　in　black；
which　suited　her　better。　　She　was　a　pretty；　gentle　creature；
interesting　from　her　illness；　and　good；　because　she　knew　no　evil；
except　what　she　heard　of　from　the　pulpit。　　They　walked　to　church；
which　was　at　no　great　distance；　along　a　meadow…path　paved　with
flags；　some　of　them　worn　through　by　the　heavy　shoes　of　country
generations。　　The　church　was　one　of　those　which　are；　in　some
measure；　typical　of　the　Church　itself；　for　it　was　very　old；　and
would　have　been　very　beautiful；　had　it　not　been　all　plastered　over；
and　whitened　to　a　smooth　uniformity　of　uglinessthe　attempt　having
been　more　successful　in　the　case　of　the　type。　　The　open　roof　had　had
a　French　heaven　added　to　itI　mean　a　ceiling；　and　the　pillars；
which；　even　if　they　were　not　carvedthough　it　was　impossible　to
come　to　a　conclusion　on　that　pointmust　yet　have　been　worn　into　the
beauty　of　age；　had　been　filled　up；　and　stained　with　yellow　ochre。
Even　the　remnants　of　stained　glass　in　some　of　the　windows；　were
half　concealed　by　modern　appliances　for　the　partial　exclusion　of　the
light。　　The　church　had　fared　as　Chaucer　in　the　hands　of　Dryden。　　So
had　the　truth；　that　flickered　through　the　sermon；　fared　in　the　hands
of　the　clergyman；　or　of　the　sermon…wright　whose　manuscript　he　had
bought　for　eighteen　penceI　am　told　that　sermons　are　to　be　procured
at　that　priceon　his　last　visit　to　London。　　Having；　although　a
Scotchman；　had　an　episcopalian　education；　Hugh　could　not　help
rejoicing　that　not　merely　the　Bible；　but　the　Church…service　as　well；
had　been　fixed　beyond　the　reach　of　such　degenerating　influences　as
those　which　had　operated　on　the　more　material　embodiments　of
religion；　for　otherwise　such　would　certainly　have　been　the　first　to
operate；　and　would　have　found　the　greatest　scope　in　any　alteration。
We　may　hope　that　nothing　but　a　true　growth　in　such　religion　as
needs　and　seeks　new　expression　for　new　depth　and　breadth　of　feeling；
will　ever　be　permitted　to　lay　the　hand　of　change　upon　ita　hand；
otherwise；　of　desecration　and　ruin。

The　sermon　was　chiefly　occupied　with　proving　that　God　is　no
respecter　of　persons；　a　mark　of　indubitable　condescension　in　the
clergyman；　the　rank　in　society　which　he　could　claim　for　himself　duly
considered。　　But；　unfortunately；　the　church　was　so　constructed；　that
its　area　contained　three　platforms　of　position；　actually　of
differing　level；　the　loftiest；　in　the　chancel；　on　the　right　hand　of
the　pulpit；　occupied　by　the　gentry；　the　middle；　opposite　the　pulpit；
occupied　by　the　tulip…beds　of　their　servants；　and　the　third；　on　the
left　of　the　pulpit；　occupied　by　the　common　parishioners。
Unfortunately；　too；　by　the　perpetuation　of　some　old　custom；　whose
significance　was　not　worn　out；　all　on　the　left　of　the　pulpit　were
expected；　as　often　as　they　stood　up　to　singwhich　was　three
timesto　turn　their　backs　to　the　pulpit；　and　so　face　away　from　the
chancel　where　the　gentry　stood。　　But　there　was　not　much
inconsistency；　after　all；　the　sermon　founding　its　argument　chiefly
on　the　antithetical　facts；　that　death；　lowering　the　rich　to　the
level　of　the　poor；　was　a　dead　leveller；　and　that；　on　the　other　hand；
the　life　to　come　would　raise　the　poor　to　the　level　of　the　rich。　　It
was　a　pity　that　there　was　no　phrase　in　the　language　to　justify　him
in　carrying　out　the　antithesis；　and　so　balancing　his　sentence　like　a
rope…walker；　by　saying　that　life　was　a　live　leveller。　　The　sermon
ended　with　a　solemn　warning：　〃Those　who　neglect　the　gospel…scheme；
and　never　think　of　death　and　judgmentbe　they　rich　or　poor；　be　they
wise　or　ignorantwhether　they　dwell　in　the　palace　or　the　hutshall
be　damned。　　Glory　be　to　the　Father；　and　to　the　Son；　and　to　the　Holy
Ghost；〃　&c。

Lady　Emily　was　forced　to　confess　that　she　had　not　been　much
interested　in　the　sermon。　　Mrs。　Elton　thought　he　spoke　plainly；　but
there　was　not　much　of　the　gospel　in　it。　　Mr。　Arnold　opined　that
people　should　not　go　to　church　to　hear　sermons；　but　to　make　the
responses；　whoever　read　prayers；　it　made　no　difference；　for　the
prayers　were　the　Church's；　not　the　parson's；　and　for　the　sermon；　as
long　as　it　showed　the　uneducated　how　to　be　saved；　and　taught　them　to
do　their　duty　in　the　station　of　life　to　which　God　had　called　them；
and　so　long　as　the　parson　preached　neither　Puseyism　nor
Radicalism（he　frowned　solemnly　and　disgustedly　as　he　repeated　the
word）nor　Radicalism；　it　was　of　comparatively　little　moment　whether
he　was　a　man　of　intellect　or　not；　for　he　could　not　go　wrong。

Little　was　said　in　reply　to　this；　except　something　not　very　audible
or　de