a laodicean-第13节

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position　had　turned　out　to　be　exactly　opposite　the　open　side
of　the　bower；　and　now　for　the　first　time　he　beheld　the
interior。　　On　the　seat　was　the　woman　who　had　stood　beneath　his
eyes　in　the　chapel；　the　'Paula'　of　Miss　De　Stancy's
enthusiastic　eulogies。　　She　wore　a　summer　hat；　beneath　which
her　fair　curly　hair　formed　a　thicket　round　her　forehead。　　It
would　be　impossible　to　describe　her　as　she　then　appeared。　　Not
sensuous　enough　for　an　Aphrodite；　and　too　subdued　for　a　Hebe；
she　would　yet；　with　the　adjunct　of　doves　or　nectar；　have　stood
sufficiently　well　for　either　of　those　personages；　if　presented
in　a　pink　morning　light；　and　with　mythological　scarcity　of
attire。

Half　in　surprise　she　glanced　up　at　him；　and　lowering　her　eyes
again；　as　if　no　surprise　were　ever　let　influence　her　actions
for　more　than　a　moment；　she　sat　on　as　before；　looking　past
Somerset's　position　at　the　view　down　the　river；　visible　for　a
long　distance　before　her　till　it　was　lost　under　the　bending
trees。

Somerset　turned　over　the　leaves　of　the　minister's　Bible；　and
began：

'In　the　First　Epistle　to　the　Corinthians；　the　seventh　chapter
and　the　fourteenth　verse'。

Here　the　young　lady　raised　her　eyes　in　spite　of　her　reserve；
but　it　being；　apparently；　too　much　labour　to　keep　them　raised；
allowed　her　glance　to　subside　upon　her　jet　necklace；　extending
it　with　the　thumb　of　her　left　hand。

'Sir！'　said　the　Baptist　excitedly；　'I　know　that　passage　well
it　is　the　last　refuge　of　the　PaedobaptistsI　foresee　your
argument。　　I　have　met　it　dozens　of　times；　and　it　is　not　worth
that　snap　of　the　fingers！　　It　is　worth　no　more　than　the
argument　from　circumcision；　or　the　Suffer…little…children
argument。'

'Then　turn　to　the　sixteenth　chapter　of　the　Acts；　and　the
thirty…third'

'That；　too；'　cried　the　minister；　'is　answered　by　what　I　said
before！　　I　perceive；　sir；　that　you　adopt　the　method　of　a
special　pleader；　and　not　that　of　an　honest　inquirer。　　Is　it；
or　is　it　not；　an　answer　to　my　proofs　from　the　eighth　chapter
of　the　Acts；　the　thirty…sixth　and　thirty…seventh　verses；　the
sixteenth　of　Mark；　sixteenth　verse；　second　of　Acts；　forty…
first　verse；　the　tenth　and　the　forty…seventh　verse；　or　the
eighteenth　and　eighth　verse？'

'Very　well；　then。　　Let　me　prove　the　point　by　other　reasoning
by　the　argument　from　Apostolic　tradition。'　　He　threw　the
minister's　book　upon　the　grass；　and　proceeded　with　his
contention；　which　comprised　a　fairly　good　exposition　of　the
earliest　practice　of　the　Church　and　inferences　therefrom。
（When　he　reached　this　point　an　interest　in　his　off…hand
arguments　was　revealed　by　the　mobile　bosom　of　Miss　Paula
Power；　though　she　still　occupied　herself　by　drawing　out　the
necklace。　　Testimony　from　Justin　Martyr　followed；　with
inferences　from　Irenaeus　in　the　expression；　'Omnes　enim　venit
per　semetipsum　salvare；　omnes　inquam；　qui　per　eum　renascuntur
in　Deum；　INFANTES　et　parvulos　et　pueros　et　juvenes。'　　（At　the
sound　of　so　much　seriousness　Paula　turned　her　eyes　upon　the
speaker　with　attention。）　　He　next　adduced　proof　of　the
signification　of　'renascor'　in　the　writings　of　the　Fathers；　as
reasoned　by　Wall；　arguments　from　Tertullian's　advice　to　defer
the　rite；　citations　from　Cyprian；　Nazianzen；　Chrysostom；　and
Jerome；　and　briefly　summed　up　the　whole　matter。

Somerset　looked　round　for　the　minister　as　he　concluded。　　But
the　old　man；　after　standing　face　to　face　with　the　speaker；　had
turned　his　back　upon　him；　and　during　the　latter　portions　of
the　attack　had　moved　slowly　away。　　He　now　looked　back；　his
countenance　was　full　of　commiserating　reproach　as　he　lifted
his　hand；　twice　shook　his　head；　and　said；　'In　the　Epistle　to
the　Philippians；　first　chapter　and　sixteenth　verse；　it　is
written　that　there　are　some　who　preach　in　contention　and　not
sincerely。　　And　in　the　Second　Epistle　to　Timothy；　fourth
chapter　and　fourth　verse；　attention　is　drawn　to　those　whose
ears　refuse　the　truth；　and　are　turned　unto　fables。　　I　wish　you
good　afternoon；　sir；　and　that　priceless　gift；　SINCERITY。'

The　minister　vanished　behind　the　trees；　Somerset　and　Miss
Power　being　left　confronting　each　other　alone。

Somerset　stepped　aside　from　the　stone；　hat　in　hand；　at　the
same　moment　in　which　Miss　Power　rose　from　her　seat。　　She
hesitated　for　an　instant；　and　said；　with　a　pretty　girlish
stiffness；　sweeping　back　the　skirt　of　her　dress　to　free　her
toes　in　turning：　　'Although　you　are　personally　unknown　to　me；
I　cannot　leave　you　without　expressing　my　deep　sense　of　your
profound　scholarship；　and　my　admiration　for　the　thoroughness
of　your　studies　in　divinity。'

'Your　opinion　gives　me　great　pleasure；'　said　Somerset；　bowing；
and　fairly　blushing。　　'But；　believe　me；　I　am　no　scholar；　and
no　theologian。　　My　knowledge　of　the　subject　arises　simply　from
the　accident　that　some　few　years　ago　I　looked　into　the
question　for　a　special　reason。　　In　the　study　of　my　profession
I　was　interested　in　the　designing　of　fonts　and　baptisteries；
and　by　a　natural　process　I　was　led　to　investigate　the　history
of　baptism；　and　some　of　the　arguments　I　then　learnt　up　still
remain　with　me。　　That's　the　simple　explanation　of　my
erudition。'

'If　your　sermons　at　the　church　only　match　your　address　to…day；
I　shall　not　wonder　at　hearing　that　the　parishioners　are　at
last　willing　to　attend。'

It　flashed　upon　Somerset's　mind　that　she　supposed　him　to　be
the　new　curate；　of　whose　arrival　he　had　casually　heard；　during
his　sojourn　at　the　inn。　　Before　he　could　bring　himself　to
correct　an　error　to　which；　perhaps；　more　than　to　anything
else；　was　owing　the　friendliness　of　her　manner；　she　went　on；
as　if　to　escape　the　embarrassment　of　silence：

'I　need　hardly　say　that　I　at　least　do　not　doubt　the　sincerity
of　your　arguments。'

'Nevertheless；　I　was　not　altogether　sincere；'　he　answered。

She　was　silent。

'Then　why　should　you　have　delivered　such　a　defence　of　me？'　she
asked　with　simple　curiosity。

Somerset　involuntarily　looked　in　her　face　for　his　answer。

Paula　again　teased　the　necklace。　　'Would　you　have　spoken　so
eloquently　on　the　other　side　if　Iif　occasion　had　served？'
she　inquired　shyly。

'Perhaps　I　would。'

Another　pause；　till　she　said；　'I；　too；　was　insincere。'

'You？'

'I　was。'

'In　what　way？；

'In　letting　him；　and　you；　think　I　had　been　at　all　influenced
by　authority；　scriptural　or　patristic。'

'May　I　ask；　why；　then；　did　you　decline　the　ceremony　the　other
evening？'

'Ah；　you；　too；　have　heard　of　it！'　she　said　quickly。

'No。'

'What　then？'

'I　saw　it。'

She　blushed　and　looked　down　the　river。　　'I　cannot　give　my
reasons；'　she　said。

'Of　course　not；'　said　Somerset。

'I　would　give　a　great　deal　to　possess　real　logical　dogmatism。'

'So　would　I。'

There　was　a　moment　of　embarrassment：　　she　wanted　to　get　away；
but　did　not　precisely　know　how。　　He　would　have　withdrawn　had
she　not　said；　as　if　rather　oppressed　by　her　conscience；　and
evidently　still　thinking　him　the　curate：　　'I　cannot　but　feel
that　Mr。　Woodwell's　heart　has　been　unnecessarily　wounded。'

'The　minister's？'

'Yes。　　He　is　single…mindedness　itself。　　He　gives　away　nearly
all　he　has　to　the　poor。　　He　works　among　the　sick；　carrying
them　necessaries　with　his　own　hands。　　He　teaches　the　ignorant
men　and　lads　of　the　village　when　he　ought　to　be　resting　at
home；　till　he　is　absolutely　prostrate　from　exhaustion；　and
then　he　sits　up　at　night　writing　encouraging　letters　to　those
poor　people　who　formerly　belonged　to　his　congregation　in　the
village；　and　have　now　gone　away。　　He　always　offends　ladies；
because　he　can't　help　speaking　the　truth　as　he　believes　it；
but　he　hasn't　offended　me！'

Her　feelings　had　risen　towards　the　end；　so　that　she　finished
quite　warmly；　and　turned　aside。

'I　was　not　in　the　least　aware　that　he　was　such　a　man；'
murmured　Somerset；　looking　wistfully　after　the　minister。　。　。　。
'Whatever　you　may　have　done；　I　fear　that　I　have　grievously
wounded　a　worthy　man's　heart　from　an　idle　wish　to　engage　in　a
useless；　unbecoming；　dull；　last…century　argument。'

'Not　dull；'　she　murmured；　'for　it　interested　me。'

Somerset　accepted　her　correction　willingly。　　'It　was　ill…
considered　of　me；　however；'　he　said；　'and　in　his　distress　he
has　forgotten　his　Bible。'　　He　went　and　picked　up　the　worn
volume　from　where　it　lay　on　the　grass。

'You　can　easily　win　him　to　forgive　you；　by　just　following；　and
returning　the　book　to　him；'　she　observed。

'I　will；'　said　the　young　man　impulsively。　　And；　bowing　to　her；
he　hastened　along　the　river　brink　after　the　minister。　　He　at
length　saw　his　friend　before　him；　leaning　over　the　gate　which
led　from　the　private　path　into　a　lane；　his　cheek　resting　on
the　palm　of　his　hand　with　every　outward　sign　of　abstraction。
He　was　not　conscious　of　Somerset's　presence　till　the　latter
touched　him　on　the　shoulder。

Never　was　a　reconciliation　effected　more　readily。　　When
Somerset　said　that；　fearing　his　motives　might　be　misconstrued；
he　had　followed　to　assure　the　minister　of　his　goodwill　and
esteem；　Mr。　Woodwell　held　out　his　hand；　and　proved　his
friendliness　in　return　by　preparing　to　have　the　controversy　on
their　religious　differences　over　again　from　the　beginning；
with　exhaustive　detail。　　Somerset　evaded　this　with　alacrity；
and　once　having　won　his　companion　to　other