He ought to have left the parish at
once! whereas he had instead secured for himself the best, the only
situation in it, without giving him a chance of warning his
lordship! The more injustice her father spoke against him, the more
Miss Carmichael condemned him; for she was a good daughter, and
looked up to her father as the wisest and best man in the parish.
Very naturally therefore she repeated his words to lady Arctura.
She in her turn conveyed them to her uncle. He would not, however,
pay much attention to them. The thing was done, he said. He had
himself seen and talked with Donal, and liked him! The young man
had himself told him of the clergyman's disapprobation! He would
request him to avoid all reference to religious subjects! Therewith
he dismissed the matter, and forgot all about it. Anything
requiring an effort of the will, an arrangement of ideas, or thought
as to mode, his lordship would not encounter. Nor was anything to
him of such moment that he must do it at once. Lady Arctura did not
again refer to the matter: her uncle was not one to take liberties
with--least of all to press to action. But she continued painfully
doubtful whether she was not neglecting her duty, trying to persuade
herself that she was waiting only till she should have something
definite to say of her own knowledge against him.
And now what was she to conclude from his reading the Apocrypha?
The fact was not to be interpreted to his advantage: was he not
reading what was not the Bible as if it were the Bible, and when he
might have been reading the Bible itself? Besides, the Apocrypha
came so near the Bible when it was not the Bible! it must be at
least rather wicked! At the same time she could not drive from her
mind the impressiveness both of the matter she had heard, and his
manner of reading it: the strong sound of judgment and condemnation
in it came home to her--she could not have told how or why, except
generally because of her sins.
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