按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
of a detestable song。 That poor thing's shame was precious in the
eyes of the Master； surely。'
'Could nothing be done for her？'
'I contrived to let her know where she would find a friend if she
wanted to be good： that is all you can do in such cases。 If the
horrors of their life do not drive them out at such an open door；
you can do nothing else； I fearfor the time。'
'Where are you going now； may I ask？'
'Into the cityon business；' he added with a smile。
'There will be nobody there so late。'
'Nobody！ One would think you were the beadle of a city church； Mr。
Gordon。'
We came into a very narrow； dirty street。 I do not know where it
is。 A slatternly woman advanced from an open door； and said；
'Mr。 Falconer。'
He looked at her for a moment。
'Why； Sarah； have you come to this already？' he said。
'Never mind me； sir。 It's no more than you told me to expect。 You
knowed him better than I did。 Leastways I'm an honest woman。'
'Stick to that； Sarah； and be good…tempered。'
'I'll have a try anyhow； sir。 But there's a poor cretur a dyin'
up…stairs； and I'm afeard it'll go hard with her； for she throwed a
Bible out o' window this very morning； sir。'
'Would she like to see me？ I'm afraid not。'
'She's got Lilywhite； what's a sort of a reader； readin' that same
Bible to her now。'
'There can be no great harm in just looking in；' he said； turning to
me。
'I shall be happy to follow youanywhere；' I returned。
'She's awful ill； sir； cholerer or summat；' said Sarah； as she led
the way up the creaking stair。
We half entered the room softly。 Two or three women sat by the
chimney； and another by a low bed； covered with a torn patchwork
counterpane； spelling out a chapter in the Bible。 We paused for a
moment to hear what she was reading。 Had the book been opened by
chance； or by design？ It was the story of David and Bathsheba。
Moans came from the bed； but the candle in a bottle； by which the
woman was reading； was so placed that we could not see the sufferer。
We stood still and did not interrupt the reading。
'Ha！ ha！ ha！' laughed a coarse voice from the side of the chimney：
'the saint； you see； was no better than some of the rest of us！'
'I think he was a good deal worse just then；' said Falconer；
stepping forward。
'Gracious！ there's Mr。 Falconer；' said another woman； rising； and
speaking in a flattering tone。
'Then；' remarked the former speaker； 'there's a chance for old Moll
and me yet。 King David was a saint； wasn't he？ Ha！ ha！'
'Yes； and you might be one too； if you were as sorry for your faults
as he was for his。'
'Sorry； indeed！ I'll be damned if I be sorry。 What have I to be
sorry for？ Where's the harm in turning an honest penny？ I ha' took
no man's wife； nor murdered himself neither。 There's yer saints！
He was a rum 'un。 Ha！ ha！'
Falconer approached her； bent down and whispered something no one
could hear but herself。 She gave a smothered cry； and was silent。
'Give me the book；' he said； turning towards the bed。 'I'll read you
something better than that。 I'll read about some one that never did
anything wrong。'
'I don't believe there never was no sich a man；' said the previous
reader； as she handed him the book； grudgingly。
'Not Jesus Christ himself？' said Falconer。
'Oh！ I didn't know as you meant him。'
'Of course I meant him。 There never was another。'
'I have heard tellp'raps it was yourself； siras how he didn't
come down upon us over hard after all； bless him！'
Falconer sat down on the side of the bed； and read the story of
Simon the Pharisee and the woman that was a sinner。 When he ceased；
the silence that followed was broken by a sob from somewhere in the
room。 The sick woman stopped her moaning； and said；
'Turn down the leaf there； please； sir。 Lilywhite will read it to
me when you're gone。'
The some one sobbed again。 It was a young slender girl； with a face
disfigured by the small…pox； and； save for the tearful look it wore；
poor and expressionless。 Falconer said something gentle to her。
'Will he ever come again？' she sobbed。
'Who？' asked Falconer。
'HimJesus Christ。 I've heard tell； I think； that he was to come
again some day。'
'Why do you ask？'
'Because' she said； with a fresh burst of tears； which rendered
the words that followed unintelligible。 But she recovered herself
in a few moments； and； as if finishing her sentence； put her hand up
to her poor； thin； colourless hair； and said；
'My hair ain't long enough to wipe his feet。'
'Do you know what he would say to you； my girl？' Falconer asked。
'No。 What would he say to me？ He would speak to me； would he？'
'He would say： Thy sins are forgiven thee。'
'Would he； though？ Would he？' she cried； starting up。 'Take me to
himtake me to him。 Oh！ I forgot。 He's dead。 But he will come
again； won't he？ He was crucified four times； you know； and he must
ha' come four times for that。 Would they crucify him again； sir？'
'No； they wouldn't crucify him nowin England at least。 They would
only laugh at him； shake their heads at what he told them； as much
as to say it wasn't true； and sneer and mock at him in some of the
newspapers。'
'Oh dear！ I've been very wicked。'
'But you won't be so any more。'
'No； no； no。 I won't； I won't； I won't。'
She talked hurriedly； almost wildly。 The coarse old woman tapped
her forehead with her finger。 Falconer took the girl's hand。
'What is your name？' he said。
'Nell。'
'What more？'
'Nothing more。'
'Well； Nelly；' said Falconer。
'How kind of you to call me Nelly！' interrupted the poor girl。 'They
always calls me Nell； just。'
'Nelly；' repeated Falconer； 'I will send a lady here to…morrow to
take you away with her； if you like； and tell you how you must do to
find Jesus。People always find him that want to find him。'
The elderly woman with the rough voice； who had not spoken since he
whispered to her； now interposed with a kind of cowed fierceness。
'Don't go putting humbug into my child's head now； Mr。
Falconer'ticing her away from her home。 Everybody knows my Nell's
been an idiot since ever she was born。 Poor child！'
'I ain't your child；' cried the girl； passionately。 'I ain't
nobody's child。'
'You are God's child；' said Falconer； who stood looking on with his
eyes shining； but otherwise in a state of absolute composure。
'Am I？ Am I？ You won't forget to send for me； sir？'
'That I won't；' he answered。
She turned instantly towards the woman； and snapped her fingers in
her face。
'I don't care that for you；' she cried。 'You dare to touch me now；
and I'll bite you。'
'Come； come； Nelly； you mustn't be rude；' said Falconer。
'No； sir； I won't no more； leastways to nobody but she。 It's she
makes me do all t