Volume Ii Part 93 (2/2)
”Of making a wrong estimate?”
”Yes; and of not doing and being just what I ought.”
Mr. Carleton was silent for a minute, considering the brow from which his fingers drew off the light screen.
”Will you trust me to watch over and tell you?”
Fleda did not trust her voice to tell him, but her eyes did it.
”As to the estimate ? the remedy is to 'keep ourselves in the love of G.o.d;' and then these things are the gifts of our Father's hand, and will never be put in compet.i.tion with him.
And they are never so sweet as when taken so.”
”Oh, I know that!”
”This is a danger I share with you. We will watch over each other.”
Fleda was silent with filling eyes.
”We do not seek our happiness in these things,” he said, tenderly. ”I never found it in them. For years, whatever others may have judged, I have felt myself a poor man; because I had not in the world a friend in whom I could have entire sympathy. And if I am rich now, it is not in any treasure that I look to enjoy in this world alone.”
”Oh, do not, Mr. Carleton!” exclaimed Fleda, bowing her head in distress, and giving his hand an earnest entreaty.
”What shall I not do?” said he, half laughing and half gently, bringing her face near enough for his lips to try another kind of eloquence. ”You shall not do this, Elfie, for any so light occasion. Was this the whole burden of those grave thoughts?”
”Not quite ? entirely” ? she said, stammering. ”But grave thoughts are not always unhappy.”
”Not always. I want to know what gave yours a tinge of that colour this morning.”
”It was hardly that. You know what Foster says about 'power to its very last particle being duty.' ? I believe it frightened me a little.”
”If you feel that as strongly as I do, Elfie, it will act as a strong corrective to the danger of false estimates.”
”I do feel it,” said Fleda. ”One of my fears was that I should not feel it enough.”
”One of my cares will be that you do not act upon it too fiercely,” said he, smiling. ”The power being limited, so is the duty. But you shall have power enough, Elfie, and work enough. I have precisely what I have needed ? my good sprite back again.”
”With a slight difference.”
”What difference?”
”She is to act under direction now.”
”Not at all ? only under safe control,” he said, laughing.
”I am very glad of the difference, Mr. Carleton,” said Fleda, with a grave and grateful remembrance of it.
”If you think the sprite's old office is gone, you are mistaken,” said he. ”What were your other fears? ? one was that you should not feel enough your responsibility, and the other that you might forget it.”
”I don't know that there were any other particular fears,”
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