we two-第66节

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er　once　was　the　restfulness　of　perfect　harmony　broken　Nature　and　circumstances　had；　as　it　were　turned　them　to　each　other。　　He　could　understand；　as　no　one　else　could　understand；　the　reversal　of　thought　and　feeling　which　she　had　passed　through　during　the　last　few　months。

He　could　understand　the　perplexities　of　her　present　position；　suddenly　confronted　with　the　world　of　wealth　and　fashion　and　conventional　religion；　and　fresh　from　a　circle　where；　whatever　the　errors　held　and　promulgated；　the　life　was　so　desperately　earnest；　often　so　nobly　self…denying。　　He　knew　that　Mr。　Fane…Smith；　good　man　as　he　was；　must　have　been　about　the　severest　of　trials　to　a　new…born　faith。　　He　understood　how　Mr。　Cuthbert's　malice　would　tend　to　reawaken　the　harsh　class　judgment　against　which；　as　a　Christian；　Erica　was　bound　to　struggle。　　He　could　fully　realize　the　irritated；　ruffled　state　she　was　in　she　was　overdone；　and　wanted　perfect　rest　and　quiet；　perfect　love　and　sympathy。　　He　and　his　wife　gave　her　all　these；　took　her　not　only　to　their　house；　but　right　into　their　home；　and　how　to　do　this　no　one　knew　so　well　as　Donovan；　perhaps　because　he　had　once　been　in　much　the　same　position　himself。　　It　was　his　most　leisure　month；　the　time　he　always　devoted　to　home　and　wife　and　children；　so　that　Erica　saw　a　great　deal　of　him。　　He　seemed　to　her　the　ideal　head　of　an　ideal　yet　real　home。　　It　was　one　of　those　homes　and　thank　God　there　are　such！　where　belief　in　the　Unseen　reacts　upon　the　life　in　the　seen；　making　it　so　beautiful；　so　lovable；　that；　when　you　go　out　once　more　into　the　ordinary　world　you　go　with　a　widened　heart；　and　the　realization　that　the　kingdom　of　Heaven　of　which　Christ　spoke　does　indeed　begin　upon　earth。

It　is　strange；　in　tracing　the　growth　of　spontaneous　love；　to　notice　how　independent　it　is　of　time。　　Love　annihilates　time　with　love；　as　with　God；　time　is　not。　　Like　the　miracles；　it　brings　into　use　the　aeonial　measurement　in　which　〃one　day　is　a　thousand　years；　and　a　thousand　years　is　one　day。〃　　A　week；　even　a　few　hours；　may　give　us　love　and　knowledge　and　mutual　sympathy　with　one　which　the　intercourse　of　many　years　fails　to　give　with　another。

The　week　at　Oakdene　was　one　which　all　her　life　long　Erica　looked　back　to　with　the　loving　remembrance　which　can　gild　and　beautify　the　most　sorrowful　of　lives。　　It　is　surely　a　mistake　to　think　that　the　memory　of　past　delights　makes　present　pain　sharper。　　If　not；　why　do　we　all　so　universally　strive　to　make　the　lives　of　children　happy？　　Is　it　not　because　we　know　that　happiness　in　the　present　will　give　a　sort　of　reflected　happiness　even　in　the　saddest　future？　　Is　it　not　because　we　know　how　in　life's　bitterest　moments；　its　most　barren　and　desolate　paths；　we　feel　a　warmth　about　our　heart；　a　smile　upon　our　lips；　when　we　remember　the　old　home　days　with　their　eager　childish　interests　and　hopes；　their　vividly　recollected　pleasures；　their　sheltered　luxuriance　of　fatherly　and　motherly　love？　　For　how　many　thousands　did　the　poet　speak　when　he　wrote　　

〃The　thought　of　our　past　years　in　me　doth　breed　Perpetual　benediction。〃

A　benediction　which　outlives　the　cares　and　troubles　of　later　life　which　we　may　carry　with　us　to　our　dying　day；　and　find　perfected　indeed　in　that　Unseen；　where

〃All　we　have　willed；　or　hoped；　or　dreamed　of　good　shall　exist；　Not　its　semblance；　but　itself。〃

There　was　only　one　bit　of　annoyance　during　the　whole　time；　it　was　on　the　Sunday；　the　day　before　Erica　was　to　go　back　to　Greyshot。　　Gladys　was　not　very　well　and　stayed　at　home；　but　Donovan　and　Erica　went　to　church　with　the　children；　starting　rather　early　that　they　might　enjoy　the　lovely　autumn　morning；　and　also　that　they　might　put　the　weekly　wreaths　on　two　graves　in　the　little　church　yard。　　Donovan　himself　put　the　flowers　upon　the　first；　Ralph　and　Dolly　talking　softly　together　about　〃little　Auntie　Dot；〃　then　running　off　hand　in　hand　to　make　the　〃captain's　glave　plitty；〃　as　Dolly　expressed　it。　　Erica；　following　them；　glanced　at　the　plain　white　headstone　and　read　the　name：　〃John　Frewin；　sometimes　captain　of　the　'Metora。'〃

Then　they　went　together　into　the　little　country　church；　and　all　at　once　a　shadow　fell　on　her　heart；　for；　as　they　entered　at　the　west　end；　the　clergy　and　the　choristers　entered　the　chancel；　and　she　saw　that　Mr。　Cuthbert　was　to　take　the　service。　　The　rector　was　taking　his　holiday；　and　had　enlisted　help　from　Greyshot。

Happily　no　man　has　it　in　his　power　to　mar　the　Church　of　England　service；　but　by　and　by　came　the　sermon。　　Now　Mr。　Cuthbert　cordially　detested　Donovan；　he　made　no　secret　of　it。　　He　opposed　and　thwarted　him　on　every　possible　occasion；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　that　personal　malice　had　something　to　do　with　his　choice　of　a　subject　for　that　morning's　sermon。

He　had　brought　over　to　Oakdene　a　discourse　on　the　eternity　of　punishment。　　Perhaps　he　honestly　believed　that　people　could　be　frightened　to　heaven；　at　any　rate　he　preached　a　most　ghastly　sermon；　and；　what　was　worse；　preached　it　with　vindictive　energy。　　The　poor；　mangled；　much…distorted　text　about　the　tree　lying　as　it　falls　was　brought　to　the　fore　once　again；　and；　instead　of　bearing　reference　to　universal　charity　and　almsgiving　as　it　was　intended　to　do；　was　ruthlessly　torn　from　its　context　and　turned　into　a　parable　about　the　state　of　the　soul　at　death。　　The　words　〃damned〃　and　〃damnation；〃　with　all　their　falsely　theologized　significance；　rang　through　the　little　church　and　made　people　shudder；　though　all　the　time　the　speaker　knew　well　enough　that　there　were　no　such　words　in　the　New　Testament。　　Had　he　been　there　himself　to　see　he　could　not　have　described　his　material　hell　more　graphically。　　Presently；　leaning　right　over　the　pulpit；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　manor　pew　just　beneath　him；　he　asked　in　thundering　tones　〃My　brethren；　have　you　ever　realized　what　the　word　LOST　means？〃　　Then　came　a　long　catalogue　of　those　who　in　Mr。　Cuthbert's　opinion　would　undoubtedly　be　〃lost；〃　in　which　of　course　all　Erica's　friends　and　relatives　were　unhesitatingly　placed。

Now　to　hear　what　we　sincerely　believe　to　be　error　crammed　down　the　throats　of　a　congregation　is　at　all　times　a　great　trial；　but；　when　our　nearest　and　dearest　are　remorselessly　thrust　down　to　the　nethermost　hell；　impatience　is　apt　to　turn　to　wrath。　　Erica　thought　of　her　gentle；　loving；　unselfish　mother；　and　though　nothing　could　alter　her　conviction　that　long　ere　now　she　had　learned　the　truths　hidden　from　her　in　life；　yet　she　could　not　listen　to　Mr。　Cuthbert's　horrible　words　without　indignant　emotion。　　A　movement　from　Donovan　recalled　her。　　Little　Dorothy　was　on　his　knees　fast　asleep；　he　quietly　reached　out　his　hand；　took　up　Erica's　prayer　book　which　was　nearest　to　him；　and　wrote　a　few　words　on　the　fly　leaf；　handling　the　book　to　her。　　She　read　them。　　〃Definition　of　LOST：　not　found　yet。〃　　Then　the　anger　and　grief　and　pain　died　away；　and；　though　the　preacher　still　thundered　overhead；　God's　truth　stole　into　Erica's　heart　once　more　by　means　of　one　of　his　earliest　consecrated　preachers　a　little　child。　　Once　more　Dolly　and　her　father　were　to　her　a　parable；　and　presently；　glancing　away　through　the　sunny　south　window；　her　eye　fell　upon　a　small　marble　tablet　just　below　it　that　she　had　not　before　noticed；　and　this　furnished　her　with　thoughts　which　outlasted　the　sermon。

At　the　top　was　a　medallion；　the　profile　of　the　same　fine；　soldierly　looking　man　whose　portrait　hung　in　Donovan's　study；　and　which　was　so　wonderfully　like　both　himself　and　little　Ralph。　　Beneath　was　the　following　inscription：

In　loving　Memory　of　RALPH　　FARRANT；　Who　died　at　Porthkerran；　Cornwall；　May　3；　18；　Aged　45

Every　good　gift　and　every　perfect　gift　is　from　above；　and　cometh　down　from　the　Father　of　lights；　with　whom　is　no　variableness；　neither　shadow　of　turning。〃

The　date　was　sixteen　years　back；　but　the　tablet　was　comparatively　new；　and　could　not　have　been　up　more　than　six　years　at　the　outside。　　Erica　was　able　partly　to　understand　why　Donovan　had　chosen　for　it　that　particular　text；　and　nothing　could　more　effectually　have　counteracted　Mr。　Cuthbert's　sermon　than　the　thoughts　which　it　awoke　in　her。

Nevertheless；　she　did　not　quite　get　over　the　ruffled　feeling；　which　was　now　in　a　great　measure　physical；　and　it　was　with　a　sense　of　relief　that　she　found　herself　again　in　the　open　air；　in　the　warmth；　and　sunshine；　and　gladness　of　the　September　day。　　Donovan　did　not　say　a　word。　　They　passed　through　the　little　church　yard；　and　walked　slowly　up　the　winding　lane；　the　children；　who　had　stopped　to　gather　a　fine　cluster　of　blackberries；　were　close　behind　them。　　In　the　silence；　every　word　of　their　talk　could　be　distinctly　heard。

〃I　don't　like　God！〃　exclaimed　Ralph；　abruptly。

〃Oh；　you　naughty！〃　exclaimed　Dolly；　much　shocked。

〃No；　it　isn't　naughty。　　I　don't　think　He's　good。　　Why；　do　you　think　father　would　let　us　be　shut　up　　in　a　horrid　place　for　always　and　always？　　Course　he　wouldn't。　　I　'spects　if　we'd　got　to　go；　he'd　come；　too。〃

Donovan　and　Erica　looked　at　each　other。　　Donovan　turned　round；　and　held　out　his　hand；　at　which　both　children　rushed。

〃Ralph；〃　he　said；　〃if　any　one　told　you　that　I　might　some　day　leave　off　loving　you；　leave　off　being　your　father　what　would　you　do？〃

〃I'd　knock　them　down！〃　said　Ralph；　clinching　his　small　fist。

Donovan　laughed　a　little；　but　di