a laodicean-第4节

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mischief　to　the　young　person　who　had　caused　the　hitch。

'In　the　third　chapter　of　Revelation　and　the　fifteenth　and
following　verses；　you　will　find　these　words：

'〃I　know　thy　works；　that　thou　art　neither　cold　nor　hot：　　I
would　thou　wert　cold　or　hot。　　So　then　because　thou　art
lukewarm；　and　neither　cold　nor　hot；　I　will　spue　thee　out　of　my
mouth。　。　。　。　　Thou　sayest；　I　am　rich；　and　increased　with
goods；　and　have　need　of　nothing；　and　knowest　not　that　thou　art
wretched；　and　miserable；　and　poor；　and　blind；　and　naked。〃'

The　sermon　straightway　began；　and　it　was　soon　apparent　that
the　commentary　was　to　be　no　less　forcible　than　the　text。　　It
was　also　apparent　that　the　words　were；　virtually；　not　directed
forward　in　the　line　in　which　they　were　uttered；　but　through
the　chink　of　the　vestry…door；　that　had　stood　slightly　ajar
since　the　exit　of　the　young　lady。　　The　listeners　appeared　to
feel　this　no　less　than　Somerset　did；　for　their　eyes；　one　and
all；　became　fixed　upon　that　vestry　door　as　if　they　would
almost　push　it　open　by　the　force　of　their　gazing。　　The
preacher's　heart　was　full　and　bitter；　no　book　or　note　was
wanted　by　him；　never　was　spontaneity　more　absolute　than　here。
It　was　no　timid　reproof　of　the　ornamental　kind；　but　a　direct
denunciation；　all　the　more　vigorous　perhaps　from　the
limitation　of　mind　and　language　under　which　the　speaker
laboured。　　Yet；　fool　that　he　had　been　made　by　the　candidate；
there　was　nothing　acrid　in　his　attack。　　Genuine　flashes　of
rhetorical　fire　were　occasionally　struck　by　that　plain　and
simple　man；　who　knew　what　straightforward　conduct　was；　and　who
did　not　know　the　illimitable　caprice　of　a　woman's　mind。

At　this　moment　there　was　not　in　the　whole　chapel　a　person
whose　imagination　was　not　centred　on　what　was　invisibly　taking
place　within　the　vestry。　　The　thunder　of　the　minister's
eloquence　echoed；　of　course；　through　the　weak　sister's　cavern
of　retreat　no　less　than　round　the　public　assembly。　　What　she
was　doing　inside　therewhether　listening　contritely；　or
haughtily　hastening　to　put　on　her　things　and　get　away　from　the
chapel　and　all　it　containedwas　obviously　the　thought　of　each
member。　　What　changes　were　tracing　themselves　upon　that　lovely
face：　　did　it　rise　to　phases　of　Raffaelesque　resignation　or
sink　so　low　as　to　flush　and　frown？　was　Somerset's　inquiry；　and
a　half…explanation　occurred　when；　during　the　discourse；　the
door　which　had　been　ajar　was　gently　pushed　to。

Looking　on　as　a　stranger　it　seemed　to　him　more　than　probable
that　this　young　woman's　power　of　persistence　in　her　unexpected
repugnance　to　the　rite　was　strengthened　by　wealth　and　position
of　some　sort；　and　was　not　the　unassisted　gift　of　nature。　　The
manner　of　her　arrival；　and　her　dignified　bearing　before　the
assembly；　strengthened　the　belief。　　A　woman　who　did　not　feel
something　extraneous　to　her　mental　self　to　fall　back　upon
would　be　so　far　overawed　by　the　people　and　the　crisis　as　not
to　retain　sufficient　resolution　for　a　change　of　mind。

The　sermon　ended；　the　minister　wiped　his　steaming　face　and
turned　down　his　cuffs；　and　nods　and　sagacious　glances　went
round。　　Yet　many；　even　of　those　who　had　presumably　passed　the
same　ordeal　with　credit；　exhibited　gentler　judgment　than　the
preacher's　on　a　tergiversation　of　which　they　had　probably
recognized　some　germ　in　their　own　bosoms　when　in　the　lady's
situation。

For　Somerset　there　was　but　one　scene：　　the　imagined　scene　of
the　girl　herself　as　she　sat　alone　in　the　vestry。　　The　fervent
congregation　rose　to　sing　again；　and　then　Somerset　heard　a
slight　noise　on　his　left　hand　which　caused　him　to　turn　his
head。　　The　brougham；　which　had　retired　into　the　field　to　wait；
was　back　again　at　the　door：　　the　subject　of　his　rumination
came　out　from　the　chapelnot　in　her　mystic　robe　of　white；　but
dressed　in　ordinary　fashionable　costumefollowed　as　before　by
the　attendant　with　other　articles　of　clothing　on　her　arm；
including　the　white　gown。　　Somerset　fancied　that　the　younger
woman　was　drying　her　eyes　with　her　handkerchief；　but　there　was
not　much　time　to　see：　　they　quickly　entered　the　carriage；　and
it　moved　on。　　Then　a　cat　suddenly　mewed；　and　he　saw　a　white
Persian　standing　forlorn　where　the　carriage　had　been。　　The
door　was　opened；　the　cat　taken　in；　and　the　carriage　drove
away。

The　stranger's　girlish　form　stamped　itself　deeply　on
Somerset's　soul。　　He　strolled　on　his　way　quite　oblivious　to
the　fact　that　the　moon　had　just　risen；　and　that　the　landscape
was　one　for　him　to　linger　over；　especially　if　there　were　any
Gothic　architecture　in　the　line　of　the　lunar　rays。　　The
inference　was　that　though　this　girl　must　be　of　a　serious　turn
of　mind；　wilfulness　was　not　foreign　to　her　composition：　　and
it　was　probable　that　her　daily　doings　evinced　without　much
abatement　by　religion　the　unbroken　spirit　and　pride　of　life
natural　to　her　age。

The　little　village　inn　at　which　Somerset　intended　to　pass　the
night　lay　a　mile　further　on；　and　retracing　his　way　up　to　the
stile　he　rambled　along　the　lane；　now　beginning　to　be　streaked
like　a　zebra　with　the　shadows　of　some　young　trees　that　edged
the　road。　　But　his　attention　was　attracted　to　the　other　side
of　the　way　by　a　hum　as　of　a　night…bee；　which　arose　from　the
play　of　the　breezes　over　a　single　wire　of　telegraph　running
parallel　with　his　track　on　tall　poles　that　had　appeared　by　the
road；　he　hardly　knew　when；　from　a　branch　route；　probably
leading　from　some　town　in　the　neighbourhood　to　the　village　he
was　approaching。　　He　did　not　know　the　population　of　Sleeping…
Green；　as　the　village　of　his　search　was　called；　but　the
presence　of　this　mark　of　civilization　seemed　to　signify　that
its　inhabitants　were　not　quite　so　far　in　the　rear　of　their　age
as　might　be　imagined；　a　glance　at　the　still　ungrassed　heap　of
earth　round　the　foot　of　each　post　was；　however；　sufficient　to
show　that　it　was　at　no　very　remote　period　that　they　had　made
their　advance。

Aided　by　this　friendly　wire　Somerset　had　no　difficulty　in
keeping　his　course；　till　he　reached　a　point　in　the　ascent　of　a
hill　at　which　the　telegraph　branched　off　from　the　road；
passing　through　an　opening　in　the　hedge；　to　strike　across　an
undulating　down；　while　the　road　wound　round　to　the　left。　　For
a　few　moments　Somerset　doubted　and　stood　still。　　The　wire　sang
on　overhead　with　dying　falls　and　melodious　rises　that　invited
him　to　follow；　while　above　the　wire　rode　the　stars　in　their
courses；　the　low　nocturn　of　the　former　seeming　to　be　the
voices　of　those　stars；

　　　　　'Still　quiring　to　the　young…eyed　cherubim。'

Recalling　himself　from　these　reflections　Somerset　decided　to
follow　the　lead　of　the　wire。　　It　was　not　the　first　time　during
his　present　tour　that　he　had　found　his　way　at　night　by　the
help　of　these　musical　threads　which　the　post…office
authorities　had　erected　all　over　the　country　for　quite　another
purpose　than　to　guide　belated　travellers。　　Plunging　with　it
across　the　down　he　came　to　a　hedgeless　road　that　entered　a
park　or　chase；　which　flourished　in　all　its　original　wildness。
Tufts　of　rushes　and　brakes　of　fern　rose　from　the　hollows；　and
the　road　was　in　places　half　overgrown　with　green；　as　if　it　had
not　been　tended　for　many　years；　so　much　so　that；　where　shaded
by　trees；　he　found　some　difficulty　in　keeping　it。　　Though　he
had　noticed　the　remains　of　a　deer…fence　further　back　no　deer
were　visible；　and　it　was　scarcely　possible　that　there　should
be　any　in　the　existing　state　of　things：　　but　rabbits　were
multitudinous；　every　hillock　being　dotted　with　their　seated
figures　till　Somerset　approached　and　sent　them　limping　into
their　burrows。　　The　road　next　wound　round　a　clump　of　underwood
beside　which　lay　heaps　of　faggots　for　burning；　and　then　there
appeared　against　the　sky　the　walls　and　towers　of　a　castle；
half　ruin；　half　residence；　standing　on　an　eminence　hard　by。

Somerset　stopped　to　examine　it。　　The　castle　was　not
exceptionally　large；　but　it　had　all　the　characteristics　of　its
most　important　fellows。　　Irregular；　dilapidated；　and　muffled
in　creepers　as　a　great　portion　of　it　was；　some　parta
comparatively　modern　wingwas　inhabited；　for　a　light　or　two
steadily　gleamed　from　some　upper　windows；　in　others　a
reflection　of　the　moon　denoted　that　unbroken　glass　yet　filled
their　casements。　　Over　all　rose　the　keep；　a　square　solid　tower
apparently　not　much　injured　by　wars　or　weather；　and　darkened
with　ivy　on　one　side；　wherein　wings　could　be　heard　flapping
uncertainly；　as　if　they　belonged　to　a　bird　unable　to　find　a
proper　perch。　　Hissing　noises　supervened；　and　then　a　hoot；
proclaiming　that　a　brood　of　young　owls　were　residing　there　in
the　company　of　older　ones。　　In　spite　of　the　habitable　and　more
modern　wing；　neglect　and　decay　had　set　their　mark　upon　the
outworks　of　the　pile；　unfitting　them　for　a　more　positive　light
than　that　of　the　present　hour。

He　walked　up　to　a　modern　arch　spanning　the　ditchnow　dry　and
greenover　which　the　drawbridge　once　had　swung。　　The　large
door　under　the　porter's　archway　was　closed　and　locked。　　While
standing　here　the　singing　of　the　wire；　which　for　the　last　few
minutes　he　had　quite　forgotten；　again　struck　upon　his　ear；　and
retreating　to　a　convenient　place　he　observed　its　final　course：
from　the　poles　amid　the　trees　it　leaped　across　the　mo