Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction
The chaplain saw the man taken down from the wall, and that done went
hastily to his own house; there, the contest being over, he was seized
with a violent sickness and trembling. To see a fellow-creature suffer
and not be able to relieve him was death to this man. He was game to
the last drop of his blood so long as there was any good to be done, but
action ended, a reaction came, in which he was all pity and sorrow and
distress because of a fellow-creature's distress. No one that saw his
firmness in the torture-cell would have guessed how weak he was within,
and how stoutly his great heart had to battle against a sensitive nature
and nerves tuned too high.
He gave half an hour to the weakness of nature, and then he was all duty
once more.
He went first into Robinson's cell. He found him worse than ever:
despair as well as hatred gleamed in his eye.
“My poor fellow, is there no way for you to avoid these dreadful
punishments?”
No answer.
It is to be observed, though, that Robinson had no idea how far
the chaplain had carried his remonstrance against his torture; that
remonstrance had been uttered privately to the turnkeys and the
governor. Besides, the man was half stupefied when the chaplain first
came there. And now he was in such pain and despair. He was like the
genii confined in the chest and thrown into the water by Soliman. Had
this good friend come to him at first starting, he would have thrown
himself into his arms; but it came too late now. He hated all mankind.
He had lost all belief in genuine kindness. Like Orlando,
He thought that all things had been savage here.
The chaplain, on the other hand, began to think that Robinson was a
downright brute, and one on whom kindness was and would be wasted.
Still, true to his nature, he admitted no small pique. He reasoned
gently and kindly with him--very kindly.
“My poor soul,” said he, “have you so many friends in this hard place
that you can afford to repulse one who desires to be your friend and
to do you good?” No answer. “Well, then, if you will not let me comfort
you, at least you cannot prevent my praying for you, for you are on the
road to despair and will take no help.”
So, then, this good creature did actually kneel upon the hard stones of
the cell and offer a prayer--a very short but earnest one.
“Oh God, to whom all hearts are open, enlighten me that I may understand
this my afflicted brother's heart, and learn how to do him good, and
comfort him out of Thy word--Thy grace assisting me.”
Robinson looked down at him with wild, staring but lack-luster eyes
and open mouth. He rose from the floor, and casting a look of great
benignity on the sullen brute, he was about to go, when he observed that
Robinson was trembling in a very peculiar way.
“You are ill,” said he hastily, and took a step toward him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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