It was not I, but
these things working in me--on my brain, making me see things in a
false light! This will be taken into account when I come to be
judged--if there be such a thing as a day of judgment."
"One thing I am sure of," said Donal, "that your lordship will have
fair play. At first, not quite knowing what you were about, you may
not have been much to blame; but afterwards, when you knew that you
were putting yourself in danger of doing you did not know what, you
were as much to blame as if you made a Frankenstein-demon, and
turned him loose on the earth, knowing yourself utterly unable to
control him."
"And is not that what the God you believe in does every day?"
"My lord, the God I believe in has not lost his control over either
of us."
"Then let him set the thing right! Why should we draw his plough?"
"He will set it right, my lord,--but probably in a way your lordship
will not like. He is compelled to do terrible things sometimes."
"Compelled!--what should compel him?"
"The love that is in him, the love that he is. He cannot let us have
our own way to the ruin of everything in us he cares for!"
Then the spirit awoke in Donal--or came upon him--and he spoke.
"My lord," he said, "if you would ever again be able to thank God;
if there be one in the other world to whom you would go; if you
would make up for any wrong you have ever done; if you would ever
feel in your soul once more the innocence of a child; if you care to
call God your father; if you would fall asleep in peace and wake to
a new life; I conjure you to resist the devil, to give up the evil
habit that is dragging you lower and lower every hour.
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