we two-第5部分

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me　eagerness；　he　went　back　into　the　shop　to　see　if　he　could　gather　any　more　particulars　from　the　old　bookseller。　　Charles　Osmond　had；　however；　finished　his　purchases　and　his　conversation；　and　was　ready　to　go。

〃The　second　house　in　Guilford　Terrace；　you　say？〃　he　observed；　turning　at　the　door。　　〃Thank　you。　　I　shall　be　sure　to　find　it。　　Good　day。〃　　Then　turning　to　his　son；　he　added；　〃I　had　no　idea　we　were　such　near　neighbors！　　Did　you　hear　what　he　told　me？　　Mr。　Raeburn　lives　in　Guilford　Terrace。〃

〃What；　that　miserable　blind　alley；　do　you　mean　at　the　other　side　of　the　square？〃

〃Yes；　and　I　am　just　going　round　there　now；　for　our　friend　the　'book…worm'　tells　me　he　has　heard　it　rumored　that　some　unscrupulous　person　who　is　going　to　answer　Mr。　Raeburn　this　evening；　has　hired　a　band　of　roughs　to　make　a　disturbance　at　the　meeting。　　Fancy　how　indignant　Donovan　would　be！　　I　only　wish　he　were　here　to　take　a　word　to　Mr。　Raeburn。〃

〃Will　he　not　most　likely　have　heard　from　some　other　source？〃　said　Brian。

〃Possibly；　but　I　shall　go　round　and　see。　　Such　abominations　ought　to　be　put　down；　and　if　by　our　own　side　all　the　better。〃

Brian　was　only　too　glad　that　his　father　should　go；　and　indeed　he　would　probably　have　wished　to　take　the　message　himself　had　not　his　mind　been　set　upon　getting　the　best　edition　of　Longfellow　to　be　found　in　all　London　for　his　ideal。　　So　at　the　turning　into　Guilford　Square；　the　father　and　son　parted。

The　bookseller's　information　had　roused　in　Charles　Osmond　a　keen　sense　of　indignation；　he　walked　on　rapidly　as　soon　as　he　had　left　his　son；　and　in　a　very　few　minutes　had　reached　the　gloomy　entrance　to　Guilford　Terrace。　　It　was　currently　reported　that　Raeburn　made　fabulous　sums　by　his　work；　and　lived　in　great　luxury；　but　the　real　fact　was　that；　whatever　his　income；　few　men　led　so　self…denying　a　life；　or　voluntarily　endured　such　privations。　　Charles　Osmond　could　not　help　wishing　that　he　could　bring　some　of　the　intolerant　with　him　down　that　gloomy　little　alley；　to　the　door　of　that　comfortless　lodging　house。　　He　rang；　and　was　admitted　into　the　narrow　passage；　then　shown　into　the　private　study　of　the　great　man。　　The　floor　was　uncarpeted；　the　window　uncurtained；　the　room　was　almost　dark；　but　a　red…glow　of　fire　light　served　to　show　a　large　writing　table　strewn　with　papers；　and　walls　literally　lined　with　books；　also　on　the　hearth…rug　a　little　figure　curled　up　in　the　most　unconventionally　comfortable　attitude；　dividing　her　attention　between　making　toast　and　fondling　a　loud…purring　cat。


CHAPTER　III。　Life　From　Another　Point　of　View

Toleration　an　attack　on　Christianity？　　What；　then；　are　we　to　come　to　this　pass；　to　suppose　that　nothing　can　support　Christianity　but　the　principles　of　persecution？　。　。　。　　I　am　persuaded　that　toleration；　so　far　from　being　an　attack　on　Christianity；　becomes　the　best　and　surest　support　that　can　possibly　be　given　to　it。　。　。　。　　Toleration　is　good　for　all；　or　it　is　good　for　none。　。　。　　God　forbid。　　I　may　be　mistaken；　but　I　take　toleration　to　be　a　part　of　religion。　　Burke

Erica　was；　apparently；　well　used　to　receiving　strangers。　　She　put　down　the　toasting　fork；　but　kept　the　cat　in　her　arms；　as　she　rose　to　greet　Charles　Osmond；　and　her　frank　and　rather　child…like　manner　fascinated　him　almost　as　much　as　it　had　fascinated　Brian。

〃My　father　will　be　home　in　a　few　minutes；〃　she　said；　〃I　almost　wonder　you　didn't　meet　him　in　the　square；　he　has　only　just　gone　to　send　off　a　telegram。　　Can　you　wait？　　Or　will　you　leave　a　message？〃

〃I　will　wait；　if　I　may；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃Oh；　don't　trouble　about　a　light。　　I　like　this　dimness　very　well；　and；　please；　don't　let　me　interrupt　you。〃

Erica　relinquished　a　vain　search　for　candle　lighters；　and　took　up　her　former　position　on　the　hearth　rug　with　her　toasting　fork。

〃I　like　the　gloaming；　too；〃　she　said。　　〃It's　almost　the　only　nice　thing　which　is　economical！　　Everything　else　that　one　likes　specially　costs　too　much！　　I　wonder　whether　people　with　money　do　enjoy　all　the　great　treats。〃

〃Very　soon　grow　blase；　I　expect；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃The　essence　of　a　treat　is　rarity；　you　see。〃

〃I　suppose　it　is。　　But　I　think　I　could　enjoy　ever　so　many　things　for　years　and　years　without　growing　blase；〃　said　Erica。

〃Sometimes　I　like　just　to　fancy　what　life　might　be　if　there　were　no　tiresome　Christians；　and　bigots；　and　lawsuits。〃

Charles　Osmond　laughed　to　himself　in　the　dim　light；　the　remark　was　made　with　such　perfect　sincerity；　and　it　evidently　had　not　dawned　on　the　speaker　that　she　could　be　addressing　any　but　one　of　her　father's　followers。　　Yet　the　words　saddened　Him　too。　　He　just　caught　a　glimpse　through　them　of　life　viewed　from　a　directly　opposite　point。

〃Your　father　has　a　lawsuit　going　on　now；　has　he　not？〃　he　observed；　after　a　little　pause。

〃Oh；　yes；　there　is　almost　always　one　either　looming　in　the　distance　or　actually　going　on。　　I　don't　think　I　can　ever　remember　the　time　when　we　were　quite　free。　　It　must　feel　very　funny　to　have　no　worries　of　that　kind。　　I　think；　if　there　wasn't　always　this　great　load　of　debt　tied　round　our　necks；　like　a　millstone；　I　should　feel　almost　light　enough　to　fly。　　And　then　it　IS　hard　to　read　in　some　of　those　horrid　religious　papers　that　father　lives　an　easy…going　life。　　Did　you　see　a　dreadful　paragraph　last　week　in　the　'Church　Chronicle？'〃

〃Yes；　I　did；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　sadly。

〃It　always　has　been　the　same；〃　said　Erica。　　〃Father　has　a　delightful　story　about　an　old　gentleman　who　at　one　of　his　lectures　accused　him　of　being　rich　and　self…indulgentit　was　a　great　many　years　ago；　when　I　was　a　baby；　and　father　was　nearly　killing　himself　with　overworkand　he　just　got　up　and　gave　the　people　the　whole　history　of　his　day；　and　it　turned　out　that　he　had　had　nothing　to　eat。　　Mustn't　the　old　gentleman　have　felt　delightfully　done？　　I　always　wonder　how　he　looked　when　he　heard　about　it；　and　whether　after　that　he　believed　that　atheists　are　not　necessarily　everything　that's　bad。〃

〃I　hope　such　days　as　those　are　over　for　Mr。　Raeburn；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　touched　both　by　the　anecdote　and　by　the　loving　admiration　of　the　speaker。

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Erica；　sadly。　　〃It　has　been　getting　steadily　worse　for　the　last　few　years；　we　have　had　to　give　up　thing　after　thing。　　Before　long　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　these　rooms　in　what　father　calls　〃Persecution　alley〃　grew　too　expensive　for　us。　　But；　after　all；　it　is　this　sort　of　thing　which　makes　our　own　people　love　him　so　much；　don't　you　think？〃

〃I　have　no　doubt　it　is；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　thoughtfully。

And　then　for　a　minute　or　two　there　was　silence。　　Erica；　having　finished　her　toasting；　stirred　the　fire　into　a　blaze；　and　Charles　Osmond　sat　watching　the　fair；　childish　face　which　looked　lovelier　than　ever　in　the　soft　glow　of　the　fire　light。　　What　would　her　future　be；　he　wondered。　　She　seemed　too　delicate　and　sensitive　for　the　stormy　atmosphere　in　which　she　lived。　　Would　the　hard　life　embitter　her；　or　would　she　sink　under　it？　　But　there　was　a　certain　curve　of　resoluteness　about　her　well…formed　chin　which　was　sufficient　answer　to　the　second　question；　while　he　could　not　but　think　that　the　best　safeguard　against　the　danger　of　bitterness　lay　in　her　very　evident　love　and　loyalty　to　her　father。

Erica　in　the　meantime　sat　stroking　her　cat　Friskarina；　and　wondering　a　little　who　her　visitor　could　be。　　She　liked　him　very　much；　and　could　not　help　responding　to　the　bright　kindly　eyes　which　seemed　to　plead　for　confidence；　though　he　was　such　an　entire　stranger　she　found　herself　quite　naturally　opening　out　her　heart　to　him。

〃I　am　to　take　notes　at　my　father's　meeting　tonight；〃　she　said；　breaking　the　silence；　〃and　perhaps　write　the　account　of　it　afterward；　too；　and　there's　such　a　delightfully　funny　man　coming　to　speak　on　the　other　side。〃

〃Mr。　Randolph；　is　it　not？〃

〃Yes；　a　sort　of　male　Mrs。　Malaprop。　　Oh；　such　fun！〃　and　at　the　remembrance　of　some　past　encounter；　Erica's　eyes　positively　danced　with　laughter。　　But　the　next　minute　she　was　very　grave。

〃I　came　to　speak　to　Mr。　Raeburn　about　this　evening；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃Do　you　know　if　he　has　heard　of　a　rumor　that　this　Mr。　Randolph　has　hired　a　band　of　roughs　to　interrupt　the　meeting？〃

Erica　made　an　indignant　exclamation。

〃Perhaps　that　was　what　the　telegram　was　about；〃　she　continued；　after　a　moment's　thought。　　〃We　found　it　here　when　we　came　in。　　Father　said　nothing；　but　went　out　very　quickly　to　answer　it。　　Oh！　Now　we　shall　have　a　dreadful　time　of　it；　I　suppose；　and　perhaps　he'll　get　hurt　again。　　I　did　hope　they　had　given　up　that　sort　of　thing。〃

She　looked　so　troubled　that　Charles　Osmond　regretted　he　had　said　anything；　and　hastened　to　assure　her　that　what　he　had　heard　was　the　merest　rumor；　and　very　possibly　not　true。

〃I　am　afraid；〃　she　said；　〃it　is　too　bad　not　to　be　true。〃

It　struck　Charles　Osmond　that　that　was　about　the　saddest　little　sentence　he　had　ever　heard。

Partly　wishing　to　change　the　subject；　party　from　real　interest；　he　made　some　remark　about　a　lovely　little　picture；　the　only　one　in　the　room；　its　frame　was　lighted　up　by　the　flickering　blaze；　and　even　in　the　imperfect　light　he　could　see　that　the　subject　was　treated　in　no　ordinary　way。　　It　was　a　little　bit　of　the　Thames　far　away　from　London；　with　a　bank　of　many…tinted　trees　on　one　s