we two-第11部分

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But　I　detain　you。　　Good　bye。　　AU　REVOIR！〃

He　took　off　his　hat　with　a　flourish；　and　passed　on。

Erica；　feeling　baffled　and　a　little　cross；　hurried　home。　　M。　Noirol　had　not　teased　her　today；　but　he　had　been　inscrutable　and　tiresome；　and　he　had　made　her　feel　uneasy。　　She　opened　the　front　door；　and　went　at　once　to　her　father's　study；　pausing　for　a　moment　at　the　sound　of　voices　within。　　She　recognized；　however；　that　it　was　her　cousin；　Tom　Craigie；　who　was　speaking；　and　without　more　delay　she　entered。　　Then　in　a　moment　she　understood　why　M。　Noirol　had　been　so　mysterious。　　Tom　was　speaking　quickly　and　strongly；　and　there　was　a　glow　of　anger　on　his　face。　　Her　father　was　standing　with　his　back　to　the　mantlepiece；　and　there　was　a　sort　of　cold　light　in　his　eyes；　which　filled　Erica　with　dismay。　　Never　in　the　most　anxious　days　had　she　seen　him　look　at　once　so　angry；　yet　as　weighed　down　with　care。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　she　questioned；　breathlessly；　instinctively　turning　to　Tom；　whose　hot　anger　was　more　approachable。

〃The　scamp　of　a　Christian　has　gone　bankrupt；〃　he　said；　referring　to　the　defendant　in　the　late　action；　but　too　furious　to　speak　very　intelligibly。

〃Mr。　Cheale；　you　mean？〃　asked　Erica。　

〃The　scoundrel！　　Yes！　　So　not　a　farthing　of　costs　and　damages　shall　we　see！　　It　is　the　most　fiendish　thing　ever　heard　of！〃

〃Will　the　costs　be　very　heavy？〃

〃Heavy！　　I　should　think　they　would　indeed！〃　　He　named　the　probable　sum；　it　seemed　a　fearful　addition　to　the　already　existing　burden　of　debts。

A　look　of　such　pain　and　perplexity　came　over　Erica's　face　that　Raeburn　for　the　first　time　realizing　what　was　passing　in　the　room；　drew　her　toward　him；　his　face　softening；　and　the　cold；　angry　light　in　his　eyes　changing　to　sadness。

〃Never　mind；　my　child；〃　he　said；　with　a　sigh。　　〃'Tis　a　hard　blow；　but　we　must　bear　up。　　Injustice　won't　triumph　in　the　end。〃

There　was　something　in　his　voice　and　look　which　made　Erica　feel　dreadfully　inclined　to　cry；　but　that　would　have　disgraced　her　forever　in　the　eyes　of　stoical　Tom；　so　she　only　squeezed　his　hand　hard　and　tried　to　think　of　that　far…distant　future　of　which　she　had　spoken　to　Charles　Osmond；　when　there　would　be　no　tiresome　Christians　and　bigots　and　lawsuits。

There　was；　however；　one　person　in　the　house　who　was　invariably　the　recipient　of　all　the　troubled　confidences　of　others。　　In　a　very　few　minutes　Erica　had　left　the　study　and　was　curled　up　beside　her　mother's　couch；　talking　out　unreservedly　all　her　grief；　and　anger；　and　perplexity。

Mrs。　Raeburn；　delicate　and　invalided　as　she　was；　had　nevertheless　a　great　deal　of　influence；　though　perhaps　neither　Raeburn；　nor　Erica；　nor　warm…hearted　Tom　Craigie　understood　how　much　she　did　for　them　all。　　She　was　so　unassuming；　so　little　given　to　unnecessary　speech；　so　reticent；　that　her　life　made　very　little　show；　while　it　had　become　so　entirely　a　matter　of　course　that　every　one　should　bring　his　private　troubles　to　her　that　it　would　have　seemed　extraordinary　not　to　meet　with　exactly　the　sympathy　and　counsel　needed。　　Today；　however；　even　Mrs。　Raeburn　was　almost　too　despondent　to　cheer　the　others。　　It　comforted　Erica　to　talk　to　her；　but　she　could　not　help　feeling　very　miserable　as　she　saw　the　anxiety　and　sadness　in　her　mother's　face。

〃What　more　can　we　do；　mother？〃　she　questioned。　　〃I　can't　think　of　a　single　thing　we　can　give　up。〃

〃I　really　don't　know；　dear；〃　said　her　mother　with　a　sigh。　　〃We　have　nothing　but　the　absolute　necessaries　of　life　now；　except　indeed　your　education　at　the　High　School；　and　that　is　a　very　trifling　expense；　and　one　which　cannot　be　interfered　with。〃

Erica　was　easily　depressed；　like　most　high…spirited　persons；　but　she　was　not　used　to　seeing　either　her　father　or　her　mother　despondent；　and　the　mere　strangeness　kept　her　from　going　down　to　the　very　deepest　depths。　　She　had　the　feeling　that　at　least　one　of　them　must　try　to　keep　up。　　Yet；　do　what　she　would；　that　evening　was　one　of　the　saddest　and　dreariest　she　had　ever　spent。　　All　the　excitement　of　contest　was　over；　and　a　sort　of　dead　weight　of　gloom　seemed　to　oppress　them。　　Raeburn　was　absolutely　silent。　　From　the　first　Erica　had　never　heard　him　complain；　but　his　anger；　and　afterward　his　intense　depression；　spoke　volumes。　　Even　Tom；　her　friend　and　play　fellow；　seemed　changed　this　evening；　grown　somehow　from　a　boy　to　a　man；　for　there　was　a　sternness　about　him　which　she　had　never　seen　before；　and　which　made　the　days　of　their　childhood　seem　far　away。　　And　yet　it　was　not　so　very　long　ago　that　she　and　Tom　had　been　the　most　light…hearted　and　careless　beings　in　the　world；　and　had　imagined　the　chief　interest　of　life　to　consist　in　tending　dormice；　and　tame　rats；　and　silk　worms！　　She　wondered　whether　they　could　ever　feel　free　again；　whether　they　could　ever　enjoy　their　long　Saturday　afternoon　rambles；　or　whether　this　weight　of　care　would　always　be　upon　them。

With　a　very　heavy　heart　she　prepared　her　lessons　for　the　next　day；　finding　it　hard　to　take　much　interest　in　Magna　Charta　and　legal　enactments　in　the　time　of　King　John；　when　the　legal　enactments　of　today　were　so　much　more　mind…engrossing。　　Tom　was　sitting　opposite　to　her；　writing　letters　for　Raeburn。　　Once；　notwithstanding　his　grave　looks；　she　hazarded　a　question。〃Tom；〃　she　said；　shutting　up　her　〃History　of　the　English　People；〃　〃Tom；　what　do　you　think　will　happen？〃

Tom　looked　across　at　her　with　angry　yet　sorrowful　eyes。

〃I　think；〃　he　said；　sternly；　〃that　the　chieftain　will　try　to　do　the　work　of　ten　men　at　once；　and　will　pay　off　these　debts　or　die　in　the　attempt。〃

The　〃chieftain〃　was　a　favorite　name　among　the　Raeburnites　for　their　leader；　and　there　was　a　great　deal　of　the　clan　feeling　among　them。　　The　majority　of　them　were　earnest；　hard…working；　thoughtful　men；　and　their　society　was　both　powerful　and　well…organized；　while　their　personal　devotion　to　Raeburn　lent　a　vigor　and　vitality　to　the　whole　body　which　might　otherwise　have　been　lacking。　　Perhaps　comparatively　few　would　have　been　enthusiastic　for　the　cause　of　atheism　had　not　that　cause　been　represented　by　a　high…souled；　self…denying　man　whom　they　loved　with　all　their　hearts。

The　dreary　evening　ended　at　length；　Erica　helped　her　mother　to　bed；　and　then　with　slow　steps　climbed　up　to　her　little　attic　room。　　It　was　cold　and　comfortless　enough；　bare　of　all　luxuries；　but　even　here　the　walls　were　lined　with　books；　and　Erica's　little　iron　bedstead　looked　somewhat　incongruous　surrounded　as　it　was　with　dingy…looking　volumes；　dusky　old　legal　books；　works　of　reference；　books　atheistical；　theological；　metaphysical；　or　scientific。　　On　one　shelf；　amid　this　strangely　heterogeneous　collection；　she　kept　her　own　particular　treasuresBrian's　Longfellow；　one　or　two　of　Dickens's　books　which　Tom　had　given　her；　and　the　beloved　old　Grimm　and　Hans　Andersen；　which　had　been　the　friends　of　her　childhood　and　which　for　〃old　sakes'　sake〃　she　had　never　had　the　heart　to　sell。　　The　only　other　trace　of　her　in　the　strange　little　bedroom　was　in　a　wonderful　array　of　china　animals　on　the　mantlepiece。　　She　was　a　great　animal　lover；　and；　being　a　favorite　with　every　one；　she　received　many　votive　offerings。　　Her　shrine　was　an　amusing　one　to　look　at。　　A　green　china　frog　played　a　tuneless　guitar；　a　pensive　monkey　gazed　with　clasped　hands　and　dreadfully　human　eyes　into　futurity；　there　were　sagacious　looking　elephants；　placid　rhinoceroses；　rampant　hares；　two　pug　dogs　clasped　in　an　irrevocable　embrace；　an　enormous　lobster；　a　diminutive　polar　bear；　and　in　the　center　of　all　a　most　evil…looking　　jackdaw　about　half　an　inch　high。

But　tonight　the　childish　side　of　Erica　was　in　abeyance；　the　cares　of　womanhood　seemed　gathering　upon　her。　　She　put　out　her　candle　and　sat　down　in　the　dark；　racking　her　brain　for　some　plan　by　which　to　relieve　her　father　and　mother。　　Their　life　was　growing　harder　and　harder。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　poverty　in　itself　was　bearable　enough；　but　that　the　ever…increasing　load　of　debt　was　not　bearable。　　As　long　as　she　could　remember；　it　had　always　been　like　a　mill…stone　tied　about　their　necks；　and　the　ceaseless　petty　economies　and　privations　seemed　of　little　avail；　she　felt　very　much　as　if　she　were　one　of　the　Danaids；　doomed　forever　to　pour　water　into　a　vessel　with　a　hole　in　it。

Yet　in　one　sense　she　was　better　off　than　many；　for　these　debts　were　not　selfish　debtsno　one　had　ever　known　Raeburn　to　spend　an　unnecessary　sixpence　on　himself；　all　this　load　had　been　incurred　in　the　defense　of　what　he　considered　the　truthby　his　unceasing　struggles　for　liberty。　　She　was　proud　of　the　debts；　proud　to　suffer　in　what　she　regarded　as　the　sacred　cause；　but　in　spite　of　that　she　was　almost　in　despair　this　evening；　the　future　looked　so　hopelessly　black。

Tom's　words　rang　in　her　head〃The　chieftain　will　try　to　do　the　work　of　ten　men！〃　　What　if　he　overworked　himself　as　he　had　done　once　a　few　years　ago？　　What　if　he　died　in　the　attempt？　　She　wished　Tom　had　not　spoken　so　strongly。　　In　the　friendly　darkness　she　did　not　try　to　check　the　tears　which　would　come　into　her　eyes　at　the　thought。　　Something　must　be　done！　　She　must　in　some　way　help　him！　　And　then；　all　at　once；　there　flashed　into　her　mind　M。　Noirol's　teasing　suggestion　that　she　should　go　to　Paris。　　Here　was　a　way　in　which；　free　of　all　expense；　she　might　finish　her　education；　mig