Falconer came. They ordered some supper, and sat till eleven o’clock.
There being then no chance of a summons, they went out together. Passing
the house, they saw light in one upper window only. That light would burn
there all night, for it was in Euphra’s room. They went on, Hugh
accompanying Falconer in one of his midnight walks through London, as he
had done repeatedly before. From such companionship and the scenes to
which Falconer introduced him, he had gathered this fruit, that he began
to believe in God for the sake of the wretched men and women he saw in the
world. At first it was his own pain at the sight of such misery that drove
him, for consolation, to hope in God; so, at first, it was for his own
sake. But as he saw more of them, and grew to love them more, he felt that
the only hope for them lay in the love of God; and he hoped in God for
them. He saw too that a God not both humanly and absolutely divine, a God
less than that God shadowed forth in the Redeemer of men, would not do.
But thinking about God thus, and hoping in him for his brothers and
sisters, he began to love God. Then, last of all, that he might see in him
one to whom he could abandon everything, that he might see him perfect and
all in all and as he must be—for the sake of God himself, he
believed in him as the Saviour of these his sinful and suffering kin.
As early as was at all excusable, the following morning, he called on
Euphra. The butler said that she had not come down yet, but he would send
up his name. A message was brought back that Miss Cameron was sorry not to
see him, but she had had a bad night, and was quite unable to get up.
Irwan replied to his inquiry, that the count had not called. Hugh withdrew
to the Golden Staff.
A bad night it had been indeed. As Euphra slept well the first part of it,
and had no attack such as she had had upon both the preceding nights,
Margaret had hoped the worst was over. Still she laid herself only within
the threshold of sleep ready to wake at the least motion.
In the middle of the night she felt Euphra move. She lay still to see what
she would do. Euphra slipped out of bed, and partly dressed herself; then
went to her wardrobe, and put on a cloak with a large hood, which she drew
over her head. Margaret lay with a dreadful aching at her heart. Euphra
went towards the door. Margaret called her, but she made no answer.
Margaret flew to the door, and reached it before her. Then, to her intense
delight, she saw that Euphra’s eyes were closed. Just as she laid her hand
on the door, Margaret took her gently in her arms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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