we two-第63章

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r　new　relations。　　Even　possible　topics　of　conversation　were　hard　to　find。　　They　cared　nothing　for　politics；　they　cared　nothing　for　science；　they　were　none　of　them　book　lovers；　and　it　was　against　their　sense　of　etiquette　to　speak　of　anything　but　the　externals　of　religion。　　Worst　of　all；　any　allusion　to　home　matters；　any　mention　of　her　father　had　to　be　avoided。　　Little　was　left　but　the　mere　gossip　of　the　neighborhood；　which；　except　as　a　social　study；　could　not　interest　Erica。

Greyshot　was　an　idle　place；　the　church　seemed　asleep；　a　drowsy　indifference　hung　about　the　richer　inhabitants；　while　the　honest　workers　not　unnaturally　banded　themself　together　against　the　sleepily　respectable　church…goers；　and　secularism　and　one　or　two　other　〃isms〃　made　rapid　advances。　　Then　sleepy　orthodoxy　lifted　its　drowsy　head　for　a　minute；　noted　the　evil；　and　abused　Mr。　Raeburn　and　his　fellow　workers；　lamenting　in　many…syllable　words　the　depravity　of　the　working　classes　and　the　rapid　spread　of　infidelity。　　But　nothing　came　of　the　lament；　it　never　seemed　to　strike　them　that　they　must　act　as　well　as　talk；　that　they　must　renounce　their　useless；　wasteful；　un…Christian　lives　before　they　had　even　a　right　to　lift　up　their　voices　against　secularism；　which　certainly　did　in　some　measure　meet　the　needs　of　the　people。　　It　never　seemed　to　strike　them　that　THEY　were　the　real　promoters　of　infidelity　that　they　not　only　dishonored　the　name　of　Christ；　but　by　their　inconsistent　lives　disgusted　people　with　Christianity；　and　then　refused　to　have　anything　more　to　do　with　them。　　Luke　Raeburn；　if　he　pulled　down　with　the　one　hand；　at　any　rate；　tried　hard　to　build　up　with　the　other；　but　the　people　of　Greyshot　caused　in　a　great　degree　the　ruin　and　down　fall；　and　then　exclaimed；　〃How　shocking！〃　and　turned　their　backs；　thinking　to　shift　their　blame　on　to　the　secularist　leaders。

As　far　as　society　goes；　they　succeeded　in　thus　shifting　the　blame；　the　world　laid　it　all　on　Luke　Raeburn；　he　was　a　most　convenient　scapegoat；　and　so　widely　does　conventional　Christianity　differ　from　the　religion　founded　by　Christ　it　soon　became　among　a　certain　set　almost　equivalent　to　a　religious　act　to　promulgate　bits　of　personal　scandal　about　him；　flavored；　of　course；　with　wordy　lamentations　as　to　the　views　he　entertained。　　Thus；　under　the　name　of　defenders　of　religion；　conventional　Christians　managed　to　appear　very　proper　and　orthodox；　and　at　the　same　time　to　dispose　comfortably　of　all　their　sense　of　responsibility。　　There　was　a　meanness　about　their　way　of　doing　it　which　might　have　made　the　very　angels　weep！　　Happily　the　judgments　of　society　are　not　the　judgments　of　God。

One　of　the　leaders　of　society　was　a　certain　Lady　Caroline　Kiteley；　she　was　a　good…natured；　hospitable　creature；　very　anxious　that　every　one　should　enjoy　life；　and　a　great　favorite　with　all　the　young　people；　because　she　made　much　of　them　and　gave　delightful　dances。　　The　elders；　too；　liked　her；　and　were　not　oblivious　to　the　fact　that　she　was　the　daughter　of　an　earl；　and　the　widow　of　a　distinguished　general。　　Erica　had　seen　her　more　than　once　during　her　visit；　and　had　been　introduced　to　her　by　Mrs。　Fane…Smith；　as　〃my　niece。〃

Now　it　happened　that　Mr。　And　Mrs。　Fane…Smith　and　Rose　were　to　dine　with　Lady　Caroline　the　week　after　Erica's　arrival。　　On　the　very　day　of　the　dinner　party；　however；　Rose　was　laid　up　with　a　bad　cold；　and　her　mother　was　obliged　to　write　and　make　her　excuses。　　Late　in　the　afternoon　there　came　in　reply　one　of　Lady　Caroline's　impulsive　notes。

〃Dear　Mrs。　Fane…Smith；　　Scold　that　silly　daughter　of　yours　for　catching　cold；　give　her　my　love；　and　tell　her　that　I　was　counting　on　her　very　much。　　Please　bring　your　pretty　niece　instead。　　Yours　sincerely；　Caroline　Kiteley。〃

Mrs。　Fane…Smith　was　glad　and　sorry　at　the　same　time；　and　very　much　perplexed。　　Such　a　peremptory　but　open…hearted　invitation　could　not　be　declined；　yet　there　were　dangers　in　the　acceptance。　　If　Erica's　name　should　transpire；　it　might　be　very　awkward；　but　she　had　not　broached　the　suggested　change　of　name　to　her；　and　every　day　her　courage　dwindled　every　day　that　resolute　mouth　frightened　her　more。　　She　was　quite　aware　that　Erica's　steady；　courageous　honesty　would　unsparingly　condemn　all　her　small　weaknesses　and　little　expedients。

Erica；　when　told　of　the　invitation；　was　not　particularly　anxious　to　go；　for　she　and　Rose　had　been　planning　a　cozy　evening　at　home　over　a　new　novel　upon　which　their　tastes　really　agreed。　　However；　Rose　assured　her　that　Lady　Caroline's　parties　were　always　delightful；　and　hunted　her　off　to　dress　at　least　an　hour　before　there　was　any　necessity。　　Rose　was　a　great　authority　on　dress　and；　when　her　cousin　returned；　began　to　study　her　attire　critically。

She　wore　a　very　simply　made　dress　of　moss…green　velveteen；　high　to　the　throat；　and　relieved　by　a　deep　falling　collar　of　old　point。　　Elspeth　had　brought　her　a　spray　of　white　banksia　roses；　but　otherwise　she　wore　no　ornament。　　Her　style　was　very　different　from　her　cousin's；　but　Rose　could　not　help　approving　of　it；　its　severity　suited　Erica。

〃You　look　lovely！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃Lady　Caroline　will　quite　lose　her　heart　to　you！　　I　think　you　should　have　that　dress　cut　low　in　front；　though。　It　is　a　shame　not　to　show　such　a　pretty　neck　as　you　must　have。〃

〃Oh；　no！〃　said　Erica；　quickly；　〃father　can't　endure　low　dresses。〃

〃One　can't　always　dress　to　please　one's　father；〃　said　Rose。　　〃For　the　matter　of　that；　I　believe　papa　doesn't　like　them；　but　I　always　wear　them。　　You　see　it　is　more　economical；　one　must　dress　much　more　expensively　if　one　goes　in　for　high　dresses。　　A　little　display　of　neck　and　arms；　and　any　old　rag　will　look　dressy　and　fashionable；　and　though　I　don't　care　about　economy；　mamma　does。〃

〃You　don't　have　an　allowance；　then？〃

〃No；　papa　declared　I　ought　to　dress　on　eighty　pounds　a　year；　but　I　never　could　make　both　ends　meet；　and　I　got　a　tiresome　long　bill　at　Langdon's；　and　that　vexed　him；　so　now　I　get　what　I　like　and　mamma　pays。〃

Erica　made　no　comment；　but　was　not　a　little　amazed。　　Presently　Mrs。　Fane…Smith　came　in；　and　seemed　well　pleased　with　her　niece's　appearance。

〃You　have　the　old　point！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Aunt　Jean　gave　it　to　me；〃　said　Erica。　　〃She　never　would　part　with　it　because　it　was　grandmamma's　at　least；　she　did　sell　it　once；　when　father　was　ill　years　ago；　and　we　were　at　our　wit's　end　for　money；　but　she　got　it　back　again　before　the　end　of　the　year。〃

Mrs。　Fane…Smith　colored　deeply；　partly　at　the　idea　of　her　mother's　lace　being　taken　to　a　pawnbroker's；　partly　to　hear　that　her　brother　and　sister　had　ever　been　reduced　to　such　straits。　　She　made　an　excuse　to　take　Erica　away　to　her　room；　and　there　questioned　her　more　than　she　had　yet　done　about　her　home。

〃I　thought　your　father　was　so　strong；〃　she　said。　　〃Yet　you　speak　as　if　he　had　had　several　illnesses。〃

〃He　has；〃　　replied　Erica。　　〃Twice　I　can　remember　the　time　when　they　thought　him　dying；　besides　after　the　riot　last　year。　　Yes；　he　is　strong；　but；　you　see；　he　has　such　a　hard　life。　　It　is　bad　enough　now；　and　I　doubt　if　any　one　knows　how　fearfully　he　overworked　himself　during　the　year　in　America。　　The　other　day　I　had　to　look　something　up　in　his　diary　for　him；　and　not　till　then　did　I　find　out　how　terribly　he　must　have　taxed　his　strength。　　On　an　average　he　got　one　night's　rest　in　the　week；　on　the　others　he　slept　as　well　as　he　could　in　the　long　cars；　which　are　wretchedly　uncomfortable；　the　sleeping　cars　being　expensive；　he　wouldn't　go　in　them。〃

Mrs。　Fane…Smith　sighed。　　Her　brother　was　becoming　more　of　a　living　reality　to　her；　she　thought　of　him　less　as　a　type　of　wickedness。　　The　recollection；　too；　that　she　had　been　all　her　life　enjoying　the　money　which　he　and　her　sister　Jean　had　forfeited　by　their　opinions；　made　her　grieve　the　more　over　the　little　details　of　poverty　and　privation。　　Old　Mr。　Raeburn　had　left　all　his　money　to　her；　bequeathing　to　his　other　daughter　and　his　reprobate　son　the　sum　of　one　shilling；　with　the　hope　that　Heaven　would　bring　them　to　a　better　mind。　　It　was　some　comfort　to　learn　from　Erica　that　at　last　the　terrible　load　of　debt　had　been　cleared　off；　and　that　they　were　comparatively　free　from　trouble　just　at　present。　　

With　these　thoughts　in　her　mind；　Mrs。　Fane…Smith　found　herself　on　he