a laodicean-第3节

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edifice；　and　all　that　belonged　to　it　from　his　sight；　possibly
for　ever。　　There　was　something　in　the　thought　which　led　him　to
linger。　　The　chapel　had　neither　beauty；　quaintness；　nor
congeniality　to　recommend　it：　　the　dissimilitude　between　the
new　utilitarianism　of　the　place　and　the　scenes　of　venerable
Gothic　art　which　had　occupied　his　daylight　hours　could　not
well　be　exceeded。　　But　Somerset；　as　has　been　said；　was　an
instrument　of　no　narrow　gamut：　　he　had　a　key　for　other　touches
than　the　purely　aesthetic；　even　on　such　an　excursion　as　this。
His　mind　was　arrested　by　the　intense　and　busy　energy　which
must　needs　belong　to　an　assembly　that　required　such　a　glare　of
light　to　do　its　religion　by；　in　the　heaving　of　that　tune　there
was　an　earnestness　which　made　him　thoughtful；　and　the　shine　of
those　windows　he　had　characterized　as　ugly　reminded　him　of　the
shining　of　the　good　deed　in　a　naughty　world。　　The　chapel　and
its　shabby　plot　of　ground；　from　which　the　herbage　was　all
trodden　away　by　busy　feet；　had　a　living　human　interest　that
the　numerous　minsters　and　churches　knee…deep　in　fresh　green
grass；　visited　by　him　during　the　foregoing　week；　had　often
lacked。　　Moreover；　there　was　going　to　be　a　baptism：　　that
meant　the　immersion　of　a　grown…up　person；　and　he　had　been　told
that　Baptists　were　serious　people　and　that　the　scene　was　most
impressive。　　What　manner　of　man　would　it　be　who　on　an　ordinary
plodding　and　bustling　evening　of　the　nineteenth　century　could
single　himself　out　as　one　different　from　the　rest　of　the
inhabitants；　banish　all　shyness；　and　come　forward　to　undergo
such　a　trying　ceremony？　　Who　was　he　that　had　pondered；　gone
into　solitudes；　wrestled　with　himself；　worked　up　his　courage
and　said；　I　will　do　this；　though　few　else　will；　for　I　believe
it　to　be　my　duty？

Whether　on　account　of　these　thoughts；　or　from　the　circumstance
that　he　had　been　alone　amongst　the　tombs　all　day　without
communion　with　his　kind；　he　could　not　tell　in　after　years
（when　he　had　good　reason　to　think　of　the　subject）；　but　so　it
was　that　Somerset　went　back；　and　again　stood　under　the　chapel…
wall。

Instead　of　entering　he　passed　round　to　where　the　stove…chimney
came　through　the　bricks；　and　holding　on　to　the　iron　stay　he
put　his　toes　on　the　plinth　and　looked　in　at　the　window。　　The
building　was　quite　full　of　people　belonging　to　that　vast
majority　of　society　who　are　denied　the　art　of　articulating
their　higher　emotions；　and　crave　dumbly　for　a　fugleman
respectably　dressed　working　people；　whose　faces　and　forms　were
worn　and　contorted　by　years　of　dreary　toil。　　On　a　platform　at
the　end　of　the　chapel　a　haggard　man　of　more　than　middle　age；
with　grey　whiskers　ascetically　cut　back　from　the　fore　part　of
his　face　so　far　as　to　be　almost　banished　from　the　countenance；
stood　reading　a　chapter。　　Between　the　minister　and　the
congregation　was　an　open　space；　and　in　the　floor　of　this　was
sunk　a　tank　full　of　water；　which　just　made　its　surface　visible
above　the　blackness　of　its　depths　by　reflecting　the　lights
overhead。

Somerset　endeavoured　to　discover　which　one　among　the
assemblage　was　to　be　the　subject　of　the　ceremony。　　But　nobody
appeared　there　who　was　at　all　out　of　the　region　of
commonplace。　　The　people　were　all　quiet　and　settled；　yet　he
could　discern　on　their　faces　something　more　than　attention；
though　it　was　less　than　excitement：　　perhaps　it　was
expectation。　　And　as　if　to　bear　out　his　surmise　he　heard　at
that　moment　the　noise　of　wheels　behind　him。

His　gaze　into　the　lighted　chapel　made　what　had　been　an　evening
scene　when　he　looked　away　from　the　landscape　night　itself　on
looking　back；　but　he　could　see　enough　to　discover　that　a
brougham　had　driven　up　to　the　side…door　used　by　the　young
water…bearers；　and　that　a　lady　in　white…and…black　half…
mourning　was　in　the　act　of　alighting；　followed　by　what
appeared　to　be　a　waiting…woman　carrying　wraps。　　They　entered
the　vestry…room　of　the　chapel；　and　the　door　was　shut。　　The
service　went　on　as　before　till　at　a　certain　moment　the　door
between　vestry　and　chapel　was　opened；　when　a　woman　came　out
clothed　in　an　ample　robe　of　flowing　white；　which　descended　to
her　feet。　　Somerset　was　unfortunate　in　his　position；　he　could
not　see　her　face；　but　her　gait　suggested　at　once　that　she　was
the　lady　who　had　arrived　just　before。　　She　was　rather　tall
than　otherwise；　and　the　contour　of　her　head　and　shoulders
denoted　a　girl　in　the　heyday　of　youth　and　activity。　　His
imagination；　stimulated　by　this　beginning；　set　about　filling
in　the　meagre　outline　with　most　attractive　details。

She　stood　upon　the　brink　of　the　pool；　and　the　minister
descended　the　steps　at　its　edge　till　the　soles　of　his　shoes
were　moistened　with　the　water。　　He　turned　to　the　young
candidate；　but　she　did　not　follow　him：　　instead　of　doing　so
she　remained　rigid　as　a　stone。　　He　stretched　out　his　hand；　but
she　still　showed　reluctance；　till；　with　some　embarrassment；　he
went　back；　and　spoke　softly　in　her　ear。

She　approached　the　edge；　looked　into　the　water；　and　turned
away　shaking　her　head。　　Somerset　could　for　the　first　time　see
her　face。　　Though　humanly　imperfect；　as　is　every　face　we　see；
it　was　one　which　made　him　think　that　the　best　in　woman…kind　no
less　than　the　best　in　psalm…tunes　had　gone　over　to　the
Dissenters。　　He　had　certainly　seen　nobody　so　interesting　in
his　tour　hitherto；　she　was　about　twenty　or　twenty…oneperhaps
twenty…three；　for　years　have　a　way　of　stealing　marches　even
upon　beauty's　anointed。　　The　total　dissimilarity　between　the
expression　of　her　lineaments　and　that　of　the　countenances
around　her　was　not　a　little　surprising；　and　was　productive　of
hypotheses　without　measure　as　to　how　she　came　there。　　She　was；
in　fact；　emphatically　a　modern　type　of　maidenhood；　and　she
looked　ultra…modern　by　reason　of　her　environment：　　a
presumably　sophisticated　being　among　the　simple　onesnot
wickedly　so；　but　one　who　knew　life　fairly　well　for　her　age。
Her　hair；　of　good　English　brown；　neither　light　nor　dark；　was
abundanttoo　abundant　for　convenience　in　tying；　as　it　seemed；
and　it　threw　off　the　lamp…light　in　a　hazy　lustre。　　And　though
it　could　not　be　said　of　her　features　that　this　or　that　was
flawless；　the　nameless　charm　of　them　altogether　was　only
another　instance　of　how　beautiful　a　woman　can　be　as　a　whole
without　attaining　in　any　one　detail　to　the　lines　marked　out　as
absolutely　correct。　　The　spirit　and　the　life　were　there：　　and
material　shapes　could　be　disregarded。

Whatever　moral　characteristics　this　might　be　the　surface　of；
enough　was　shown　to　assure　Somerset　that　she　had　some
experience　of　things　far　removed　from　her　present
circumscribed　horizon；　and　could　live；　and　was　even　at　that
moment　living；　a　clandestine；　stealthy　inner　life　which　had
very　little　to　do　with　her　outward　one。　　The　repression　of
nearly　every　external　sign　of　that　distress　under　which
Somerset　knew；　by　a　sudden　intuitive　sympathy；　that　she　was
labouring；　added　strength　to　these　convictions。

'And　you　refuse？'　said　the　astonished　minister；　as　she　still
stood　immovable　on　the　brink　of　the　pool。　　He　persuasively
took　her　sleeve　between　his　finger　and　thumb　as　if　to　draw
her；　but　she　resented　this　by　a　quick　movement　of　displeasure；
and　he　released　her；　seeing　that　he　had　gone　too　far。

'But；　my　dear　lady；'　he　said；　'you　promised！　　Consider　your
profession；　and　that　you　stand　in　the　eyes　of　the　whole　church
as　an　exemplar　of　your　faith。'

'I　cannot　do　it！'

'But　your　father's　memory；　miss；　his　last　dying　request！'

'I　cannot　help　it；'　she　said；　turning　to　get　away。

'You　came　here　with　the　intention　to　fulfil　the　Word？'

'But　I　was　mistaken。'

'Then　why　did　you　come？'

She　tacitly　implied　that　to　be　a　question　she　did　not　care　to
answer。　　'Please　say　no　more　to　me；'　she　murmured；　and
hastened　to　withdraw。

During　this　unexpected　dialogue　（which　had　reached　Somerset's
ears　through　the　open　windows）　that　young　man's　feelings　had
flown　hither　and　thither　between　minister　and　lady　in　a　most
capricious　manner：　　it　had　seemed　at　one　moment　a　rather
uncivil　thing　of　her；　charming　as　she　was；　to　give　the
minister　and　the　water…bearers　so　much　trouble　for　nothing；
the　next；　it　seemed　like　reviving　the　ancient　cruelties　of　the
ducking…stool　to　try　to　force　a　girl　into　that　dark　water　if
she　had　not　a　mind　to　it。　　But　the　minister　was　not　without
insight；　and　he　had　seen　that　it　would　be　useless　to　say　more。
The　crestfallen　old　man　had　to　turn　round　upon　the
congregation　and　declare　officially　that　the　baptism　was
postponed。

She　passed　through　the　door　into　the　vestry。　　During　the
exciting　moments　of　her　recusancy　there　had　been　a　perceptible
flutter　among　the　sensitive　members　of　the　congregation；
nervous　Dissenters　seeming　to　be　at　one　with　nervous
Episcopalians　in　this　at　least；　that　they　heartily　disliked　a
scene　during　service。　　Calm　was　restored　to　their　minds　by　the
minister　starting　a　rather　long　hymn　in　minims　and　semibreves；
amid　the　singing　of　which　he　ascended　the　pulpit。　　His　face
had　a　severe　and　even　denunciatory　look　as　he　gave　out　his
text；　and　Somerset　began　to　understand　that　this　meant
mischief　to　the　young　person　who　had　caused　the　hitch。

'In　the　third　chapter　of　Revelation　and　the