Volume I Part 9 (1/2)
”Pray do not speak of abusing,” said Eleanor; ”n.o.body minds the books here; I am glad they are good to anybody else.--I am interrupting you.”
”Not at all!” said he, bringing up a great chair for her,--”or only agreeably. Pray sit down--you are not fit to stand.”
Eleanor however remained standing, and hesitating, for a moment.
”I wish you would tell me a little more about what we were talking of,”
she said with some effort.
”Do you feel your want of the helmet?” he said gravely.
”I feel that I haven't it,” said Eleanor.
”What is it that you are conscious of wanting?”
She hesitated; it was a home question; and very unaccustomed to speak of her secret thoughts and feelings to any one, especially on religious subjects, which however had never occupied her before, Eleanor was hardly ready to answer. Yet in the tones of the question there was a certain quiet a.s.surance and simplicity before which she yielded.
”I felt--a little while ago--when I was sick--that I was not exactly safe.”
Eleanor spoke, hesitating between every few words, looking down, and falling her voice at the end. So she did not see the keen intentness of the look that was fixed upon her.
”You felt that there was something wanting between you and G.o.d?”
”I believe so.”
His accent was as deliberately clear as her's was hesitating. Every word went into Eleanor's soul.
”Then you can understand now, that when one can say, joyfully, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth';--when he is no vague abstraction, but felt to be a _Redeemer;_--when one can say a.s.suredly, he is _my_ Redeemer; I know he has bought back my soul from sin and from the punishment of sin, which is death; I feel I am forgiven; and I know he liveth--my Redeemer--and according to his promise lives to deliver me from every evil and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom;--do you see, now, that one who can say this has on his head the covering of an infinite protection--an infinite shelter from both danger and fear?--a helmet, placed on his head by his Lord's own hand, and of such heavenly temper that no blows can break through it.”
Eleanor was a little time silent, with downcast eyes.
”You do not mean to say, that this protection is against _all_ evil; do you? sickness and pain are evils are they not?”
”Not to him.”
”Not to him?”
”No. The evil of them is gone. They can do him no harm; if they come, they will do good. He that wears this helmet has absolutely no evil to fear. All things shall work good to him. There shall no evil happen to the just. Blessed be the Lord, who only doeth wondrous things!”
Eleanor stood silenced, humbled, convinced; till she recollected she must not stand there so, and she lifted her eyes to bid good-night.
Then the face she met gave a new turn to her thoughts. It was a changed face; such a light of pure joy and deep triumph shone over it, not hiding nor hindering the loving care with which those penetrating eyes were reading herself. It gave Eleanor a strange compression of heart; it told her more than his words had done; it shewed her the very reality of which he spoke. Eleanor went away overwhelmed.
”Mr. Rhys is a happy man!” she said to herself;--”happy, happy! I wish,--I wish, I were as happy as he!”
CHAPTER IV.
IN THE SADDLE.
”She has two eyes, so soft and brown, Take care!