The spirit behind the Church is true,
though her letter--true once--is now true no longer. The spirit behind
the High Priests of Science is as lying as its letter. The Theobalds,
who do what they do because it seems to be the correct thing, but who in
their hearts neither like it nor believe in it, are in reality the least
dangerous of all classes to the peace and liberties of mankind. The man
to fear is he who goes at things with the cocksureness of pushing
vulgarity and self-conceit. These are not vices which can be justly laid
to the charge of the English clergy.
Many of the farmers came up to Ernest when service was over, and shook
hands with him. He found every one knew of his having come into a
fortune. The fact was that Theobald had immediately told two or three of
the greatest gossips in the village, and the story was not long in
spreading. "It simplified matters," he had said to himself, "a good
deal." Ernest was civil to Mrs Goodhew for her husband's sake, but he
gave Miss Wright the cut direct, for he knew that she was only Charlotte
in disguise.
A week passed slowly away. Two or three times the family took the
sacrament together round Christina's death-bed.
Pages:
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656