Part 48 (2/2)
”Father! father!” cried she, e him, ”how can you ask so cruel a question? I know that you love hter”
”Pro shall ever deprive you of a full confidence in my affection”
”I should be most wretched, could I think it possible”
”But suppose I should kill you this instant?”
”Dear father, this is horrid! You are incapable of entertaining a thought of evil towards ht, Faith, but only suppose it”
”I cannot have such a thought of my own father! It is impossible I would sooner die than admit it into my mind”
”I aht of evil of s happen in it I speak in this way because I do not knohat may come to pass next I have always loved ood opinion, and the idea of forfeiting it, either through e so absurdly! They look only at the outside They are so easily deceived by appearances!
Do you know, that of late I have thought there was a great deal of confusion in the ordinary way of ? But I see clearly the cause of the errors into which they are perpetually falling All the discord arises fro wills of their own Do you not think so?”
”Religion teaches, father, that our wills are sources of unhappiness only when opposed to the Divine will”
”I knew you would agree with me And then think of the folly of it
The resistance , but it seeether correct
It celebrates only the love of God, and is, therefore, partial and one-sided He is also a consu fire to destroy what is evil”
”I hope it is so But do you know that I have been a good deal troubled lest there ht be truth in the doctrine, that Necessity, an iron Necessity, you understand, ht control God himself?”
”Why will you distress yourself with these strange speculations, father? There are sos, it was intended, we should not know”
”Why,” continued Ar, ”it is an opinion that has been entertained for thousands of years, and by the wisest men The old philosophers believed in it, and I do not kno otherwise to explain the destiny of the elect and reprobate For you see, Faith, that if God could make all ht not to engage our hts,” said Faith ”They cannot make us wiser or better, or cothen us for duty”
”They are very interesting I have spent days thinking them over But if the subject is unpleasant ill choose another I think you look wonderfully like your ain
It was very curious how Mr Holden discovered your likeness to her”
”I was quite startled,” said his daughter, glad to find her father'selse ”I wonder if he could have seen my mother”
He explained the way in which he found it out ”Was it not ingenious?
No one else would have thought of it He has a very subtle intellect”
”I was not quite satisfied,” said Faith ”His explanation seemed far fetched, and intended for concealment I think he must have seen my mother”
”If that is your opinion, I will inquire into it But I do not wish to speak of Holden You have been to one, I know I shall not live long”