That It Would Be Better To Let Her Have Perfect Rest, And That With Time
She Would Soon Come Round. Rachel Would All The Same Have Sent For The
Doctor, If She Had Not Forgotten It Almost Before She Got Downstairs;
She Was So Taken Up With Her Own Thoughts. Would Another Day Pass
Without His Coming?
A Carriage Drove Up To The Door. Mrs. Garman, Who Had Just Finished A
Little Private Breakfast In Her Own Room, Put Down Her Paper And Said,
"Is It Possible? Can It Be Visitors In This Weather?"
Rachel Felt That She Was Blushing. She Had Recognized His Voice In The
Hall, And To Conceal Her Emotion, She Sat Down At The Piano And
Aimlessly Struck A Few Chords.
The Door Opened And In came Dean Sparre, Followed By Mr. Johnsen. Rachel
Turned Round On The Music-Stool, Bringing Her Hand Down With A Crash On
Some Of The Bass Notes Of The Piano. Her Eye Never Wandered From
Johnsen, As If She Expected Every Moment That He Would Begin To Speak,
And Give Some Explanation As To Why He Came In Such Company.
Dean Sparre Gave A Cordial Greeting To The Ladies, At The Same Time
Mildly Reproaching Rachel For Not Having Paid Them A Visit At The
Deanery. He Had A Great Many Messages For Her From His "Little Girls."
Mrs. Garman Became Reconciled As Soon As She Saw Who Were The Visitors.
There Was Nothing She Enjoyed More Than A Gossip With Clergymen.
The Conversation First Turned Upon The Disagreeable Weather, But
Rachel'S Eyes Never Once Moved From The Inspector. He Did Not Look In
Her Direction; His Face Was Pale, And His Lips Closely Pressed Together.
"We Particularly Wished, My Young Friend And I," At Last Began The Dean,
"To Pay This Visit At Your House Together. There Are Many Things That
Can Be Explained, And Many Misunderstandings Which Can Be Avoided, If
One Only Has An Opportunity Of Talking A Matter Thoroughly Over."
The Dean Paused And Looked At Mr. Johnsen, Who Made A Momentary Effort
To Speak, In Which He Signally Failed.
"It Would Be Most Unfortunate," Continued The Dean, "If A Few
Chapter 13 Pg 93
Ill-Considered Remarks Should Leave An Impression On Our Congregation
That There Was Any Want Of Agreement, Or Rather, I Should Say,
Difference Of Opinion, Among Those Who Have To Work Together In The
Service Of The Church."
Rachel Had Left Her Seat, And Was Now Standing Before Mr. Johnsen. "Is
That Your Opinion?"
"My Dear Rachel!" Interrupted Mrs. Garman. Rachel'S Eccentricities
Really Exceeded All Bounds.
"Is That Your Opinion?" Repeated Rachel, With The Severity Of A Judge
Condemning A Criminal.
Johnsen Raised His Head Nervously And Looked At Her. "Allow Me To
Explain, Miss Garman," He Began. But He Could Not Withstand The
Penetrating Glance Of Those Clear Blue Eyes, And Hung Down His Head, And
Stopped In The Middle Of His Sentence. Rachel Turned Round, And Without
Saying Another Word Left The Room.
"I Must Really, Gentlemen," Said Mrs. Garman, "Beg You To Excuse My
Daughter. Rachel'S Conduct Is Sometimes So Very Extraordinary; In Fact,
I Don'T Understand It At All."
"The Behaviour Of Youth, My Dear Mrs. Garman," Said The Dean, Blandly,
"Is Undoubtedly Somewhat Strange In These Days; But We Ought To Consider
How Times Have Changed." And The Pressure Of His Soft Persuasive Hand
Was So Soothing, That When They Were Gone, Mrs. Garman Felt Almost As
Much Edified As If She Had Been Listening To A Sermon.
That The Dean, In The Course Of Three Or Four Days, Had Been Able To
Bring About This Entire Change In The Inspector, Was For Martens A New
Source Of Wonder And Admiration; And Every One Could Not But Feel
Greatly Relieved When They Saw The Two Going About And Paying Their
Visits Together.
The Whole Of That Memorable Sunday Johnsen Had Spent In Pacing Up And
Down His Room, Repeating To Himself Different Parts Of His Sermon. Some
Of His Thoughts He Had Managed To Express Clearly Enough, While Others
Might Have Been A Little More Incisive; But On The Whole He Was
Satisfied. He Was Not Satisfied In The Sense That He Thought He Had
Accomplished A Great Work, But He Was So Far Satisfied That He Now Felt
That He Had Room To Breathe. Wind In One'S Sails, Even If It Is A Storm,
Is Preferable To A Dead Calm. What Emotions He Must Have Stirred In Many
A Careless Soul! How Many Of His Hearers Might Not Now Be Struggling
With The Mighty Thoughts Which He Had Thrown Amongst Them? In The Mean
Time He Looked Out Upon The Street, And He Felt Almost Inclined To
Wonder That The Town Showed Its Usual Sunday Calm. In The Afternoon He
Expected The Dean; He Felt Certain He Would Come, And He Had A Speech
Ready With Which To Receive Him. Give Way He Would Not, Rather Resign
His Position; And Besides, He Knew Of One Who Had Promised Him Her
Friendship, If All Others Should Turn Their Backs On Him. And Now As The
Day Went On, And The Shadows Of Evening Began To Fall, And No Dean
Appeared, She Came More And More Into The Foreground Of His Thoughts. He
Imagined Her By His Side, Battling With Him Against The Whole World, And
Full Of Hope And Courage He Laid Down To Rest.
Chapter 13 Pg 94
When He Awoke The Next Morning, He Heard The Wind Whistling, And The
Rain Pattering On The Window-Panes. Empty Drays Were Driving At A Trot
Down The Street Under His Windows, And The Busy Monday Was Again Alive,
On That Dingy Autumn Morning. He Had To Be In The School Before Eight
O'Clock, And Begin The Work Of The Day With A Prayer And A Hymn.
Yesterday His Ordinary Duties Had Scarcely Entered His Thoughts; But
When The Faint Odour Of The Children'S Clothes As They Came Wet To
School, Their Inharmonious Singing, And That Flagging Indifference With
Which The School Week Opens After Saturday And Sunday'S Holiday, Rose In
His Imagination, His Everyday Work Appeared More Than He Could Bear.
What Was It To Him? While He Was Sitting At His Breakfast, And Was Just
Thinking Of Sending The Maid Down To The School To Say He Was Unwell, A
Knock Was Heard At The Door, And Dean Sparre Entered The Room. Johnsen
At Once Endeavoured To Recollect What He Had Yesterday Arranged To Say
To The Dean; But At
