david elginbrod-第96章

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separate　such　things；　it　is　the　glory　of　God；　even　more　than　the
salvation　of　men；　that　he　seeks。　　He　will　not　have　it　that　his
Father　in　heaven　is　not　perfect。　　He　believes　entirely　that　God
loves；　yea；　is　love；　and；　therefore；　that　hell　itself　must　be
subservient　to　that　love；　and　but　an　embodiment　of　it；　that　the
grand　work　of　Justice　is　to　make　way　for　a　Love　which　will　give　to
every　man　that　which　is　right　and　ten　times　more；　even　if　it　should
be　by　means　of　awful　sufferinga　suffering　which　the　Love　of　the
Father　will　not　shun；　either　for　himself　or　his　children；　but　will
eagerly　meet　for　their　sakes；　that　he　may　give　them　all　that　is　in
his　heart。〃

〃Surely　you　speak　your　own　opinions　in　describing　thus　warmly　the
faith　of　the　preacher。〃

〃I　do。　　He　is　accountable　for　nothing　I　say。　　All　I　assert　is；　that
this　is　how　I　seem　to　myself　to　succeed　in　understanding　him。〃

〃How　is　it　that　so　many　good　people　call　him　heterodox？〃

〃I　do　not　mind　that。　　I　am　annoyed　only　when　good…hearted　people；
with　small　natures　and　cultivated　intellects；　patronise　him；　and
talk　forgivingly　of　his　warm　heart　and　unsound　judgment。　　To　these；
theology　must　be　like　a　mapwith　plenty　of　lines　in　it。　　They
cannot　trust　their　house　on　the　high　table…land　of　his　theology；
because　they　cannot　see　the　outlines　bounding　the　said　table…land。
It　is　not　small　enough　for　them。　　They　cannot　take　it　in。　　Such　can
hardly　be　satisfied　with　the　creation；　one　would　think；　seeing　there
is　no　line　of　division　anywhere　in　it。　　They　would　take　care　there
should　be　no　mistake。〃

〃Does　God　draw　no　lines；　then？〃

〃When　he　does；　they　are　pure　lines；　without　breadth；　and
consequently　invisible　to　mortal　eyes；　not　Chinese　walls　of
separation；　such　as　these　definers　would　construct。　　Such　minds　are
？priori　incapable　of　theorising　upon　his　theories。　　Or；　to　alter
the　figure；　they　will　discover　a　thousand　faults　in　his　drawing；　but
they　can　never　behold　the　figure　constructed　by　his　lines；　and
containing　the　faults　which　they　believe　they　discover。〃

〃But　can　those　theories　in　religion　be　correct　which　are　so　hard　to
see？〃

〃They　are　only　hard　to　certain　natures。〃

〃But　those　natures　are　above　the　average。〃

〃Yes；　in　intellect　and　its　cultivationnothing　more。〃

〃You　have　granted　them　heart。〃

〃Not　much；　but　what　there　is；　good。〃

〃That　is　allowing　a　great　deal；　though。　　Is　it　not　hard　then　to　say
that　such　cannot　understand　him？〃

〃Why？　　They　will　get　to　heaven；　which　is　all　they　want。　　And　they
will　understand　him　one　day；　which　is　more　than　they　pray　for。　　Till
they　have　done　being　anxious　about　their　own　salvation；　we　must
forgive　them　that　they　can　contemplate　with　calmness　the　damnation
of　a　universe；　and　believe　that　God　is　yet　more　indifferent　than
they。〃

〃But　do　they　not　bring　the　charges　likewise　against　you；　of　being
unable　to　understand　them？〃

〃Yes。　And　so　it　must　remain；　till　the　Spirit　of　God　decide　the
matter；　which　I　presume　must　take　place　by　slow　degrees。　　For　this
decision　can　only　consist　in　the　enlightenment　of　souls　to　see　the
truth；　and　therefore　has　to　do　with　individuals　only。　　There　is　no
triumph　for　the　Truth　but　that。　　She　knows　no　glorying　over　the
vanquished；　for　in　her　victory　the　vanquished　is　already　of　the
vanquishers。　　Till　then；　the　Right　must　be　content　to　be　called　the
Wrong；　andwhich　is　far　harderto　seem　the　Wrong。　　There　is　no
spiritual　victory　gained　by　a　verbal　conquest；　or　by　any　kind　of
torture；　even　should　the　rack　employed　be　that　of　the　purest　logic。
Nay　more：　so　long　as　the　wicked　themselves　remain　impenitent；　there
is　mourning　in　heaven；　and　when　there　is　no　longer　any　hope　over　one
last　remaining　sinner；　heaven　itself　must　confess　its　defeat；　heap
upon　that　sinner　what　plagues　you　will。〃

Hugh　pondered；　and　continued　pondering　till　they　reached　Falconer's
chambers。　　At　the　door　Hugh　paused。

〃Will　you　not　come　in？〃

〃I　fear　I　shall　become　troublesome。〃

〃No　fear　of　that。　　I　promise　to　get　rid　of　you　as　soon　as　I　find　you
so。〃

〃Thank　you。　　Just　let　me　know　when　you　have　had　enough　of　me。〃

They　entered。　　Mrs。　Ashton；　who；　unlike　her　class；　was　never　missing
when　wanted；　got　them　some　bread　and　cheese；　and　Falconer's
Fortunatus…purse　of　a　cellarthe　bottom　of　his　cupboardsupplied
its　usual　bottle　of　port；　to　which　fare　the　friends　sat　down。

The　conversation；　like　a　bird　descending　in　spirals；　settled　at　last
upon　the　subject　which　had　more　or　less　occupied　Hugh's　thoughts
ever　since　his　unsatisfactory　conversation　with　Funkelstein；　at
their　first　meeting；　and　still　more　since　he　had　learned　that　this
man　himself　exercised　an　unlawful　influence　over　Euphra。　　He　begged
Falconer；　if　he　had　any　theory　comprehending　such　things；　to　let　him
know　what　kind　of　a　relation　it　was；　in　which　Miss　Cameron　stood　to
Funkelstein；　or　Count　von　Halkar。

〃I　have　had　occasion　to　think　a　good　deal　about　those　things；〃　said
Falconer。　〃The　first　thing　evident　is；　that　Miss　Cameron　is
peculiarly　constituted；　belonging　to　a　class　which　is；　however；
larger　than　is　commonly　supposed；　circumstances　rarely　combining　to
bring　out　its　peculiarities。　　In　those　who　constitute　this　class；
the　nervous　element；　either　from　preponderating；　or　from　not　being
in　healthy　and　harmonious　combination　with　the　more　material
element；　manifests　itself　beyond　its　ordinary　sphere　of　operation；
and　so　occasions　results　unlike　the　usual　phenomena　of　life；　though；
of　course；　in　accordance　with　natural　laws。　　To　use　a　simile：　it　is；
in　such　cases；　as　if　all　the　nerves　of　the　human　body　came　crowding
to　the　surface；　and　there　exposed　themselves　to　a　thousand
influences；　from　which　they　would　otherwise　be　preserved。　　Of　course
I　am　not　attempting　to　explain；　only　to　suggest　a　conceivable
hypothesis。　　Upon　such　constitutions；　it　would　not　be　surprising
that　certain　other　constitutions；　similar；　yet　differing；　should
exercise　a　peculiar　influence。　　You　are；　I　dare　say；　more　or　less
familiar　with　the　main　features　of　mesmerism　and　its　allies；　among
which　is　what　is　called　biology。　　I　presume　it　is　on　such
constitutions　as　I　have　supposed；　that　those　powers　are　chiefly
operative。　　Miss　Cameron　has；　at　some　time　or　other　in　her　history；
submitted　herself　to　the　influences　of　this　Count　Halkar；　and　he　has
thus　gained　a　most　dangerous　authority　over　her；　which　he　has
exercised　for　his　own　ends。〃

〃She　more　than　implied　as　much　in　the　last　conversation　I　had　with
her。〃

〃So　his　will　became　her　law。　　There　is　in　the　world　of　mind　a
something　corresponding　to　physical　force　in　the　material　world。I
cannot　avoid　just　touching　upon　a　higher　analogy。　　The　kingdom　of
heaven　is　not　come；　even　when　God's　will　is　our　law：　it　is　come　when
God's　will　is　our　will。　　While　God's　will　is　our　law；　we　are　but　a
kind　of　noble　slaves；　when　his　will　is　our　will；　we　are　free
children。　　Nothing　in　nature　is　free　enough　to　be　a　symbol　for　the
state　of　those　who　act　immediately　from　the　essence　of　their　hidden
life；　and　the　recognition　of　God's　will　as　that　essence。　　But；　as　I
said；　this　belongs　to　a　far　higher　region。　　I　only　wanted　to　touch
on　the　relation　of　the　freedomsphysical；　mental；　and　spiritual。
To　return　to　the　point　in　hand：　I　recognise　in　the　story　a　clear
evidence　of　strife　and　partial　victory　in　the　affair　of　the　ring。
The　countwe　will　call　him　by　the　name　he　gives　himselfhad
evidently　been　anxious　for　years　to　possess　himself　of　this　ring：
the　probable　reasons　we　have　already　talked　of。　　He　had　laid　his
injunctions　on　his　slave　to　find　it　for　him；　and　she；　perhaps　at
first　nothing　loath；　perhaps　loving　the　man　as　well　as　submitting　to
him；　had　for　a　long　time　attempted　to　find　it；　but　had　failed。　　The
count；　probably　doubting　her　sincerity；　and　hoping；　at　all　events；
to　urge　her　search；　followed　her　to　Arnstead；　where　it　is　very
likely　he　had　been　before；　although　he　had　avoided　Mr。　Arnold。
Judging　it　advantageous　to　get　into　the　house；　in　order　to　make
observations；　he　employed　his　chance　meeting　with　you　to　that
result。　　But；　before　this；　he　had　watched　Miss　Cameron's　familiarity
with　youwas　jealous　and　tyrannical。　　Hence　the　variations　of　her