第43章

"GodinHeaven！"washerinwardcry。"Godofalltheworlds！Donotlethimdie。`IfyeaskanythinginmynamethatIwilldo。’Christsaidit。InthenameofJesusofNazareth——donotlethimdie！Alltheworldsareyours——allthepower——listentous——listentous。Lord，Ibelieve——helpthoumyunbelief。Ifthisterrorrobsmeoffaith，andIpraymadly——forgive，forgiveme。Donotcountitagainstmeassin。Youmadehim。Hehassufferedandbeenalone。Itisnottime——itisnottimeyetforhimtogo。Hehasknownnojoyandnobrightthing。Donotlethimgooutofthewarmworldlikeablindman。Donotlethimdie。Perhapsthisisnotprayer，butraging。Forgive——forgive！Allpowerisgonefromme。Godoftheworlds，andthegreatwinds，andthemyriadstars——donotlethimdie！"

Sheknewherthoughtswerewild，buttheirtorrentboreherwiththemintoastrange，greatsilence。Shedidnothearthevicar’swords，ortheresponsesofthepeople。Shewasnotwithinthegreystonewalls。Shehadbeendrawnawayasintothedarknessandstillnessofthenight，andnosoulbutherownseemednear。Throughthestillnessandthedarkherprayingseemedtocallandecho，clamouringagainandagain。

ItmustreachSomething——itmustbeheard，becauseshecriedsoloud，thoughtothehumanbeingsabouthersheseemedkneelinginsilence。Shewentonandon，repeatingherwords，changingthem，endingandbeginningagain，pouringforthafloodofappeal。Shethoughtlaterthatthefloodmusthavebeenatitshighesttidewhen，singularly，itwasstemmed。

Withoutwarning，awaveofawepassedoverherwhichstrangelysilencedher——andleftherbowedandkneeling，butcryingoutnomore。Thedarknesshadbecomestill，evenasithadnotbeenstillbefore。Suddenlyshecoweredasshekneltandheldherbreath。Somethinghaddrawnalittlenear。

Nothoughts——nowords——nocrieswereneededasthegreatstillnessgrewandspread，andfoldedherbeingwithinit。

Shewaited——onlywaited。Shedidnotknowhowlongatimepassedbeforeshefeltherselfdrawnbackfromthesilentandshadowyplaces——awakening，asitwere，tothesoundsinthechurch。

"OurFather，"shebegantosay，assimplyasachild。

"OurFatherwhoartinHeaven——hallowedbethyname。"

Therewasastirringamongthecongregation，andsoundsoffeet，asthepeoplebegantomovedowntheaisleinreverentslowness。Shecaughtagaintheoccasionalsoundofasubduedsob。Rosaliegentlytouchedher，andsherose，followingheroutofthebigpewandpassingdowntheaisleafterthevillagers。

Outsidetheentrancethepeoplewaitedasiftheywantedtoseeheragain。Foreheadsweretouchedasbefore，andeyesfollowedher。Shewastothegeneralmindthecentreofthedrama，and"theA’mighty"woulddowelltohearher。Shehadbeendoinghisworkforhim"sameashislordship。"

Theydidnotexpecthertosmileatsuchatime，whenshereturnedtheirgreetings，andshedidnot，buttheysaidafterwards，intheircottages，that"troubleornotshewasawonderforlooks，thatshewas——MissVanderpoel。"

Rosalieslippedahandthroughherarm，andtheywalkedhometogether，veryclosetoeachother。NowandthentherewasaquestioninginRosy’slook。Butneitherofthemspokeonce。

OnanoaktableinthehallaletterfromMr。Penzancewaslying。Itwasbrief，hurried，andanxious。TherumourthatMountDunstanhadbeenailingwastrue，andthattheyhadfelttheymustconcealthematterfromthevillagerswastruealso。Forsomebafflingreasonthefeverhadnotabsolutelydeclareditself，buttheyoungdoctorswerebesetbygraveforebodings。Insuchcasesthemostserioussymptomsmightsuddenlydevelop。Oneneverknew。Mr。Penzancewasevidentlytornbyfearswhichhedesperatelystrovetosuppress。ButBettycouldseetheanguishonhisfineoldface，andbetweenthelinesshereaddreadandwarningnotputintowords。Shebelievedthat，fearingtheworst，hefelthemustpreparehermind。

"Hehaslivedunderagreatstrainformonths，"heended。

"Itbeganlongbeforetheoutbreakofthefever。Iamnotstrongundermysenseofthecrueltyofthings——andIhaveneverlovedhimasIlovehimto—day。"

Bettytookthelettertoherroom，andreadittwoorthreetimes。BecauseshehadaskedintelligentquestionsofthemedicalauthorityshehadconsultedonhervisittoLondon，sheknewsomethingofthefeveranditshabits。Evenherunclericalknowledgewassuchasitwasnotwelltoreflectupon。Sherefoldedtheletterandlaiditaside。

"Imustnotthink。Imustdosomething。Itmaypreventmylistening，"shesaidaloudtothesilenceofherroom。

Shecasthereyesaboutherasifinsearch。Uponherdesklayanotebook。Shetookitupandopenedit。Itcontainedlistsofplants，offlowerseeds，ofbulbs，andshrubs。

Eachlistwasheadedwithanexplanatorynote。

"Yes，thiswilldo，"shesaid。"IwillgoandtalktoKedgers。"

Kedgersandeverymanunderhimhadbeenattheservice，buttheyhadreturnedtotheirrespectiveduties。Kedgers，givingdirectionstosomeundergardenerswhowereclearingflowerbedsandpreparingthemfortheirwinterrest，turnedtomeetherassheapproached。ToKedgersthesightofhercomingtowardshimonagardenpathwasajoyfulthing。

Hehaddonewonders，itistrue，butifshehadnotstoodbyhissidewithinspirationaswellasconfidence，heknewthatthingsmighthave"comeoutdifferent。"

"Youwasbornagardener，miss——bornone，"hehadsaidmonthsago。

Itwasthetimewhenflowerbedsmustbeplannedforthecomingyear。Hernotebookwasfilledwithmemorandaofthethingstheymusttalkabout。

Itwasgood，normal，healthyworktodo。Thescentoftherich，damp，upturnedmouldwasagoodthingtoinhale。Theywalkedfromoneendtoanother，stoodbeforeclumpsofshrubs，andstudiedbitsofwall。Hereamassofbluemightgrow，herelowthingsofwhiteandpaleyellow。Aquickly—climbingrosewouldhangsheetsofbloomoverthisdeadtree。ThisshelteredwallwouldholdwarmthforaMarechalNiel。

"Youmusttakecareofitall——evenifIamnotherenextyear，"MissVanderpoelsaid。

Kedgers’absorbedfacechanged。

"Nothere，miss，"heexclaimed。"Younothere！Thingswouldn’tgrow，miss。"Hecheckedhimself，hisweather—

toughenedskinreddeningbecausehewasafraidhehadperhapstakenaliberty。Andthenmovinghishatuneasilyonhishead，hetookanother。"Butit’strueenough，"lookingdownonthegravelwalk，"we——wecouldn’texpecttokeepyou。"

Shedidnotlookasifshehadnoticedtheliberty，butshedidnotlookquitelikeherself，Kedgersthought。Ifshehadbeenanotheryounglady，andbutforhisestablishedfeelingthatshewassomehowimmunefromallills，hewouldhavethoughtshehadaheadache，orwaslowinhermind。

Shespentanhourortwowithhim，andtogethertheyplannedforthechangingseasonsoftheyeartocome。Howshecouldkeephermindonathing，andwhataheadshehadforplanning，andwhataneyeforcolour！Butyes——therewassomethingabitwrongsomehow。Nowandthenshewouldstopandstandstillforamoment，andsuddenlyitstruckKedgersthatshelookedasifshewerelistening。

"Didyouthinkyouheardsomething，miss？"heaskedheroncewhenshepausedandworethislook。

"No，"sheanswered，"no。"Anddrewhimonquickly——

almostasifshedidnotwanthimtohearwhatshehadseemedlisteningfor。

Whenshelefthimandwentbacktothehouse，allthelovelinessofspring，summerandautumnhadbeenthoughtoutandprovidedfor。Kedgersstoodonthepathandlookedafterheruntilshepassedthroughtheterracedoor。Hechewedhislipuneasily。Thenherememberedsomethingandfeltabitrelieved。Itwastheserviceheremembered。

"Ah！it’sthatthat’supsether——andit’snatural，seeinghowshe’shelpedhimandDunstanvillage。It’sonlynatural。"

Hechewedhislipagain，andnoddedhisheadinoddreflection。

"Ay！Ay！"hesummedherup。"She’sagreatladythat——she’sagreatlady——sameasifshe’d

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