When Mr Malison went into the vestry, Truffey had gone into the porch,
and there staid till he passed on his way home. Then with stealthily
set crutch, putting it down as the wild beast sets down his miching
paw, out sprang Truffey and after the master. But however silently
Truffey might use his third leg, the master heard the _stump stump_
behind him, and felt that he was followed home every foot of the way by
the boy whom he had crippled. He felt, too, in some dim degree which
yet had practical results, that the boy was taking divine vengeance
upon him, heaping on his head the coals of that consuming fire which is
love, which is our God. And when the first shame was over, the thought
of Truffey came back with healing on his lonely heart.
When he reached his own door, he darted in and closed it behind, as if
to shut out the whole world through which he had passed with that
burden of contempt upon his degraded shoulders. He was more ashamed of
his failure than he had been sorry for laming Truffey. But the shame
would pass; the sorrow would endure.
Meantime two of his congregation, sisters, poor old _mutched wifies_,
were going home together. They were distantly related to the
schoolmaster, whom they regarded as the honour of the family, as their
bond of relation with the world above them in general and with the
priesthood in particular.
Pages:
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488