sameness, the land a waste, and the sun itself a glaring garish baldness of light, that accentuated her own disconsolation, the length of a life that is not worth living, and the size of a world which contains no corner of comfort in all its pitiless expanse. And it was the same story too. She was witnessing the same mystery of love rejected the same worthiness for the same unworthiness; the same fine discipline of resignation, which made the pain of it endurable; listening to the same old pulpit platitudes even, which have such force of soothing when reverently expressed. She and Edith were very different types of girlhood, and it seemed a strange coincidence that their opportunities should have been identical nevertheless; but not singular that their action should have been the same, because the force of nature which controlled them is a matter of constitution more than of character, and subject only to a training which neither of them had received, and without which, instead of ruling, they are ruled erratically. Evadne had quite forgotten by this time all her first fine feelings on the subject of a celibate priesthood. She now held that the laws of nature are the laws of God, and marriage is a law of nature which there is no evidence that God has ever rescinded. Evadne had not heard what Mr. St. John was saying, and she did not care to hear; she knew that it was not relevant to anything which either of them had in their minds; but still held his arm, and looked up at him sympathetically when he paused for a reply, and at that moment Colonel Colquhoun, accompanied by Sir Mosley Menteith, turned out of a side street just behind them, and followed on in the same direction. When Menteith saw the two walking so familiarly arm in arm, he glanced at Colonel Colquhoun out of the corners of his eyes to see how he took it. But Colonel Colquhoun's face remained serenely impassive. "Easy!" he said. "We won't overtake them till we arrive at the house. I expect he is seeing her home, and as Mrs. Colquhoun is only at her best tête-à-tête, it would be a shame to deprive him of the small recompense he will get for his trouble." He twisted his moustache and continued to look at the pair thoughtfully when he had spoken, and Menteith glanced at him again to see if he might not perchance be concealing some secret annoyance under an affectation of easy indifference, but there was not a trace of anything of the kind apparent. "There is no doubt that women do cling to the clergy," was the outcome of Colonel Colquhoun's reflections "I mean metaphorically speaking, of course," he hastened to add with a laugh, perceiving the double construction that might be put on the remark in view of the situation. "Now, there is only one fellow on the island that Evadne cares for as much as she does for her friend there. I think she likes the other better though." "You mean yourself, of course," said Menteith. "No, I don't mean myself, of course," Colonel Colquhoun answered. "Putting myself out of the question. It is Price, I mean." "That dried-up old chap?" Menteith exclaimed. "Well, he's pretty safe, I should say! And I should never be jealous of a parson myself. Women always treat them de haut en bas." "I believe, sir, that Mrs. Colquhoun is perfectly 'safe' with anyone whom she may choose for a friend," Colonel Colquhoun said with an emphasis which made Menteith apologize immediately. Colonel Colquhoun asked Evadne that evening what she thought of the projected marriage. "I think it detestable," she answered. Well, I think it a pity myself," he said. nice looking girl too." "She's such a "Can't you do Evadne turned to him with a flash of hope. something?" she exclaimed. "Can't you prevent it? "Absolutely impossible," he answered. "And I beg as a favour to myself that you won't try." “I have done my best already," she said. “Then you have made your friends enemies for life,” he declared. "A girl like that won't give up a man she loves even for such considerations as have made you indifferent to my happiness--and welfare." Evadne perceived the contradiction involved in commend. ing Edith for doing what he considered it a pity that she should do; but she recognized her own impotence also, and was silent. It was the system, the horrid system that was to blame, and neither he, nor she, nor any of them. Colonel Colquhoun ruminated for a little. "It is rather curious," he finally observed, "that you should both have shied at the parsons, seeing how very particular you are." "Who told you we had both-refused a clergyman? Evadne asked. "Everybody in Malta knows that St. John proposed to Miss Beale," he answered, "and your father told me about the offer you had. He remarked at the time that girls will only have manly men, and that therefore we soldiers get the pick of them. Evadne was silent. She was thinking of something her father had once remarked in her presence on the same subject : I have observed," he had said, in his pompous way, "that the clergy carry off all the nicest girls. You will see some of the finest, who have money of their own too, marry quite commonplace parsons. But the reason is obvious. It is their faith in the superior moral probity of Churchmen which weighs with them. The Beales went home the following week to prepare for the wedding, which was to take place immediately. They both wrote to Evadne kindly before they left, and she replied in the same tone, but she could not persuade herself to see them again, nor did they wish it. END OF BOOK II. BOOK III. DEVELOPMENT AND ARREST OF Fury: Blood thou canst see, and fire; and canst hear groans;- Prometheus: Worse? Fury: In each human heart terror survives The good want power but to weep barren tears: The powerful goodness want,-worse need for them : —Prometheus Unbound. |