we two-第24部分

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s　the　great　grief　of　her　life；　the　perpetual　source　of　indignation；　her　strongest　argument　against　Christianity。

〃Have　you　much　to　do　tonight？〃　she　asked；　not　anxious　to　stir　up　afresh　the　revolt　against　the　world's　injustice　which　the　merest　touch　would　set　working　within　her。　　〃I　was　thinking　that；　if　there　was　time　to　spare；　we　might　go　to　see　the　professor；　he　has　promised　to　show　me　some　experiments。〃

〃Electricity？〃　Tom　pricked　up　his　ears。　　〃Not　half　a　bad　idea。　　If　you'll　help　me　we　can　polish　off　the　letters　in　an　hour　or　so；　and　be　free　by　eight　o'clock。〃

They　set　to　work；　and　between　them　disposed　of　the　correspondence。

It　was　a　great　relief　to　Erica　after　her　long　day's　work　to　be　out　in　the　cool　evening　air。　　The　night　was　fine　but　very　windy；　indeed　the　sudden　gusts　at　the　street　corners　made　her　glad　to　take　Tom's　arm。　　Once；　as　they　rather　slackened　their　speed；　half　baffled　by　the　storm；　a　sentence　from　a　passer…by　fell　on　their　ears。　　The　speaker　looked　like　a　countryman。

〃Give　me　a　good　gas…burner　with　pipes　and　a　meter　that　a　honest　man　can　understand！　　Now　this　'ere　elective　light　I　say　it's　not　canny；　I've　no　belief　in　things　o'　that　kind；　it　won't　never〃

The　rest　of　the　speech　died　away　in　the　distance。　　Tom　and　Erica　laughed；　but　the　incident　set　Erica　thinking。　　Here　was　a　man　who　would　not　believe　what　he　could　not　understand；　who　wanted　〃pipes　and　a　meter；〃　and　for　want　of　comprehensible　outward　signs　pooh…poohed　the　great　new　discovery。

〃Tom；〃　she　said　slowly；　and　with　the　manner　of　one　who　makes　a　very　unpleasant　suggestion；　reluctantly　putting　forward　an　unwelcome　thought；　〃suppose　if；　after　all；　we　are　like　that　man；　and　reject　a　grand　discovery　because　we　don't　know　and　are　too　ignorant　to　understand！　　Tom；　just　suppose　if；　after　all；　Christianity　should　be　true　and　we　in　the　wrong！〃

〃Just　suppose　if；　after　all；　the　earth　should　be　a　flat　plain　with　the　sun　moving　round　it！〃　replied　Tom　scornfully。

They　were　walking　down　the　Strand；　he　did　not　speak　for　some　minutes；　in　fact　he　was　looking　at　the　people　who　passed　by　them。　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　a　great　contrast　struck　him。　　Disreputable　vulgarity；　wickedness；　and　vice　stared　him　in　the　face；　then　involuntarily　he　turned　to　Erica　and　looked　down　at　her　scrutinizingly　as　he　had　never　looked　before。　　She　was　evidently　wrapped　in　thought　but　it　was　not　the　intellect　in　her　face　which　he　thought　of　just　then；　though　it　was　ever　noticeable；　nor　was　it　the　actual　beauty　of　feature　which　struck　him；　it　was　rather　an　undefined　consciousness　that　here　was　a　purity　which　was　adorable。　　From　that　moment　he　became　no　longer　a　boy；　but　a　man　with　a　high　standard　of　womanhood。　　Instantly　he　thought　with　regret　of　his　scornful　little　speechit　was　contemptible。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　he　said；　abruptly　；as　if　she　had　been　following　his　whole　train　of　thought。　　〃Of　course　one　is　bound　to　study　the　question　fairly；　but　we　have　done　that；　and　all　that　remains　for　us　is　to　live　as　usefully　as　we　can　and　as　creditably　to　the　cause　as　may　be。〃

They　had　turned　down　one　of　the　dingy　little　streets　leading　to　the　river；　and　now　stood　outside　Professor　Gosse's　door。　　Erica　did　not　reply。　　It　was　true　she　had　heard　arguments　for　and　against　Christianity　all　her　life；　but　had　she　ever　studied　it　with　strict　impartiality？　　Had　she　not　always　been　strongly　biased　in　favor　of　secularism？　　Had　not　Mr。　Osmond　gone　unpleasantly　near　the　mark　when　he　warned　her　against　being　prejudiced　by　the　wrong…doing　of　a　few　modern　Christians　against　Christianity　itself！　　She　was　coming　now　for　special　instruction　in　science　from　one　who　was　best　calculated　to　teach；　she　would　not　have　dreamed　of　asking　instruction　from　one　who　was　a　disbeliever　in　science。　　Would　the　same　apply　in　matters　of　religious　belief？　　Was　she　bound　actually　to　ask　instruction　from　Charles　Osmond；　for　instance；　even　though　she　believed　that　he　taught　errorharmful　error？　　Yet　who　was　to　be　the　judge　of　what　was　error；　except　by　perfectly　fair　consideration　of　both　sides　of　the　case。　　Had　she　been　fair？　　What　was　perfect　fairness？

But　people　must　go　on　living；　and　must　speak　and　act　even　though　their　minds　are　in　a　chaos　of　doubts　and　questionings。　　They　had　reached　Professor　Gosse's　study；　or　as　he　himself　called　it；　his　workshop；　and　Erica　turned　with　relief　to　the　verifiable　results　of　scientific　inquiry。


CHAPTER　XI。　The　Wheels　Run　Down

Great　grace；　as　saith　Sir　Thomas　More；　To　him　must　needs　be　given；　Who　heareth　heresy；　and　leaves　The　heretic　to　Heaven。　　Whittier。

The　clock　in　a　neighboring　church　tower　was　just　striking　five　on　a　warm　afternoon　in　June。　　The　pillar　box　stood　at　the　corner　of　Guilford　Square　nearest　the　church；　and　on　this　particular　afternoon　there　chanced　to　be　several　people　running　at　the　last　moment　to　post　their　letters。　　Among　others　were　Brian　and　Erica。　　Brian；　with　a　great　bundle　of　parish　notices；　had　just　reached　the　box　when　running　down　the　other　side　of　the　square　at　full　speed　he　saw　his　Undine　carrying　a　bagful　of　letters。　　He　had　not　met　her　for　some　weeks；　for　it　happened　to　have　been　a　busy　time　with　him；　and　though　she　had　been　very　good　in　coming　to　read　to　old　Mrs。　Osmond；　he　had　always　just　missed　her。

〃This　is　a　funny　meeting　place；〃　she　exclaimed；　rather　breathlessly。　　〃It　never　struck　me　before　what　a　truly　national　institution　the　post　office　isa　place　where　people　of　all　creeds　and　opinions　can　meet　together；　and　are　actually　treated　alike！〃

Brian　smiled。

〃You　have　been　very　busy；〃　he　said；　glancing　at　the　innumerable　envelopes；　which　she　was　dropping　as　fast　as　might　be　into　the　narrow　receptacle。　　He　could　see　that　they　were　directed　in　her　small；　clear；　delicate　handwriting。

〃And　you；　too；〃　she　said；　looking　at　his　diminished　bundle。　　〃Mine　are　secularist　circulars；　and　yours；　I　suppose；　are　the　other　kind　of　thing；　but　you　see　the　same　pillar　eats　them　up　quite　contentedly。　　The　post　office　is　beautifully　national；　it　sets　a　good　example。〃

She　spoke　lightly；　but　there　was　a　peculiar　tone　in　her　voice　which　betrayed　great　weariness。　　It　made　Brian　look　at　her　more　attentively　than　he　had　yet　doneless　from　a　lover's　point　of　view；　more　from　a　doctor's。　　She　was　very　pale。　　Though　the　running　had　brought　a　faint　color　to　her　cheeks；　her　lips　were　white；　her　forehead　almost　deathly。　　He　knew　that　she　had　never　really　been　well　since　her　mother's　death；　but　the　change　wrought　within　the　last　three　weeks　dismayed　him；　she　was　the　mere　shadow　of　her　former　self。

〃This　hot　weather　is　trying　you；〃　he　said。

〃Something　is；〃　she　replied。　　〃Work；　or　weather；　or　worry；　or　the　three　combined。〃

〃Come　in　and　see　my　father；〃　said　Brian；　〃and　be　idle　for　a　little　time；　you　will　be　writing　more　circulars　if　you　go　home。〃

〃No；　they　are　all　done；　and　my　examination　is　over；　and　there　is　nothing　special　going　on　just　now；　I　think　that　is　why　I　feel　so　like　breaking　down。〃

After　a　little　more　persuasion；　she　consented　to　go　in　and　see　Mr。　Osmond。　　The　house　always　had　a　peculiarly　restful　feeling；　and　the　mere　thought　of　rest　was　a　relief　to　her；　she　would　have　liked　the　wheels　of　life　to　stop　for　a　little　while；　and　there　was　rest　in　the　mere　change　of　atmosphere。　　On　the　doorstep　Brian　encountered　a　patient；　much　to　his　vexation；　so　he　could　only　take　Erica　into　the　study；　and　go　in　search　of　his　father。　　He　lingered　however；　just　to　tell　him　of　his　fears。

〃She　looks　perfectly　worn　out；　you　must　find　out　what　is　wrong；　father；　and　make　her　promise　to　see　some　one。〃

His　tone　betrayed　such　anxiety　that　his　father　would　not　smile　although　he　was　secretly　amused　at　the　task　deputed　to　him。　　However；　clergyman　as　he　was；　he　had　a　good　deal　of　the　doctor　about　him；　and　he　had　seen　so　much　of　sickness　and　disease　during　his　long　years　of　hard　work　among　the　poor　that　he　was　after　all　about　as　ready　an　observer　and　as　good　a　judge　as　Brian　could　have　selected。

Erica；　leaning　back　in　the　great　easy　chair；　which　had　been　moved　into　summer　quarters　beside　the　window；　heard　the　slow　soft　step　she　had　learned　to　know　so　well；　and　before　she　had　time　to　get　up；　found　her　hand　in　Charles　Osmond's　strong　clasp。

〃How　comfortable　your　chair　is；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃I　believe　I　was　nearly　asleep。〃

He　looked　at　her　attentively；　but　without　appearing　to　study　her　face　in　any　way。　　She　was　very　pale　and　there　was　an　indefinable　look　of　pain　in　her　eyes。

〃Any　news　of　the　examination？〃　he　asked；　sitting　down　opposite　her。

〃No；　it　is　too　soon　yet；〃　she　replied。　　〃I　thought　I　should　have　felt　so　anxious　about　it；　but　do　you　know；　now　that　it　is　over；　I　can't　make　myself　care　a　bit。　　If　I　have　failed　altogether；　I　don't　believe　I　shall　mind　very　much。〃

〃Too　tired　to　care　for　anything？〃

〃Yes；　I　seem　to　have　come　to　the　end。　　I　wish　I　were　a　watch；　and　could　run　down　and　rest　for　a　few　days　and　be　wound　up　again。〃

He　smiled。　　〃What　have　you　been　doing　with　yourself　to　get　so　tired？〃

〃Oh；　nothing　particular；　it　has　been　rather　a　long　day。　　Let　me　see！　　In　the　morning　there　were　two　delegates　from　Rilchester　who　had　to　be　kept　in　a　good　temper　till　my　father　was　ready　for　them；　then　there　was　father's　bag　to　be　pac