Justin Wingate, Ranchman
Page 34
CHAPTER XVIII
PHILOSOPHY GONE MAD
One day it became known that Sibyl Dudley had visited Paradise Valleyand was stopping in the town. She had ridden out to call on MaryJasper.
Justin carried the unpleasant news to Clayton.
"I hope I shan't see her," said Clayton, nervously. He had receivedthe news in his study, where he had been writing. Now he laid down hispen. "I hope it isn't her intention to call here. But tell me aboutit; why has she visited Mary?"
"That I don't know. Lucy saw her as she left Jasper's. She will findout for me."
"And Mary? I haven't heard about her for some time."
"She is very much changed. You would hardly know her. She was in bednearly a month after Ben's death. But I've thought she looked betterlately."
"Youth is strong," said Clayton; "it can survive much. But I amsurprised that Mrs. Dudley has called there."
When Justin had nothing further to communicate Clayton turned again tohis writing. But that night he called Justin into his study, a placein which Justin had passed many pleasant hours. Clayton washollow-cheeked and nervous. The news of the coming of Sibyl toParadise Valley had not been without its evil effect.
"You are well, Justin?" he inquired solicitously.
"Quite well," said Justin, with some show of surprise.
"I hoped so; but things have gone so wrong here lately that I worryabout every one."
He took up some sheets of paper on which he had been writing.
"In our latest talk I was telling you something about the new views Ihave worked out concerning spiritual matters. I told you I had come tothe conclusion that the laws which apply to the material world applyalso to the spiritual world. In the material world we have the law ofevolution. We do not know how life begins, but we know how itdevelops. Applying this to the spiritual world, we may say that thoughwe cannot know how spiritual life begins it must develop after itbegins. And development implies different grades or orders of beings;name them angels, or what you will."
"You know I said I wasn't able to agree with you about all thosethings," Justin reminded, gently.
"That doesn't matter; it is nothing to me who believes or disbelieves.Whatever is truth is truth, if it is never accepted by any one. Isimply work out these results for my own satisfaction, and I like totalk them over with you."
Justin settled in his chair to listen. This new view of Clayton'sseemed strange, but it was sure to be presented in an interestingmanner.
"I think I have made a startling discovery." Clayton's eyes shone andhis manner astonished Justin. "In the material world man is thehighest product of evolution, though he has not reached the highestpossible state. In the spiritual world, which must be more advanced,the highest state has been reached, and he who has reached it we callGod. The one best fitted to reach it of all spiritual beings hasreached it, and has become absolute. Yet every spiritual being isentitled to reach that state, if he is worthy, each in turn. Beinginfinite, God could prevent that, and occupy the throne forever. Thecommon belief is that he does so occupy it. But, being just, as wellas infinite, he abdicates--suicides, if I may use the word withoutirreverence--so that another spirit, becoming perfect through ages ofdevelopment, may take the throne; and when he does so we have what ispopularly conceived of as 'the end of the world'--the universe goesback in the twinkling of an eye to fire-mist and chaos, and alltilings begin over again. That is the great day of fire, when allthings are consumed; the day of which the Revelator wrote when hesaid, 'And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolledtogether.'"
There was something in Clayton's eyes which Justin had never seenbefore, and which he did not like; it forced him to combat Clayton'sastonishing views.
"But the logic of the situation compels that belief," Claytoninsisted.
"Then I refuse to accept the premises."
"But you can't!" His earnestness grew. "See here!" He read over someof the things he had written. "It comes to that, and there is no wayof getting round it."
"I get round it by refusing to believe any of it."
"And Justin!" The dark eyes shone with a still brighter light. "I putthe question to you:--If God, the Infinite, may commit suicide for agood reason, why may not a man? I put it to you."
Seeing the black thought which lay back of these words Justin began toreason with Clayton, combating the idea with all the vigor andeloquence at his command, and years of training under Clayton had madehim a good reasoner. But he could not break the chain of false logicwhich Clayton had forged, or at least he could not make Clayton seethat it was broken, though he talked long and earnestly.
Justin passed an uneasy night, waking at intervals with a nervousstart, and listening for something, he hardly knew what. Once, hearingClayton stirring, he sat up in bed, shivering, ready to leap out andforce his way into Clayton's room, if it seemed necessary. He wasalarmed, and he thought he had ground for his alarm. The coming ofSibyl to the valley he charged with being responsible for Clayton'sstrange and changed manner. Sibyl's malevolent influence seemed to lieover everything that came near her, like the blight of the fabledupas.
In the morning Clayton was very quiet, and even listless. He did notrecur to the talk of the previous evening, though Justin momentarilyexpected him to, and was forging more arguments to combat this new anddistressing theory which had wormed its way into Clayton's troubledmind. During the day, when there were so many things to hold hisattention, Clayton was not likely to give so much thought to Sibyl andhis new conclusions; he had a number of patients, including Davison,who demanded his attention, and as a physician he threw himself intohis work without reserve or thought of himself. Therefore, Justin felteasier when Clayton saddled his horse and rode away to visit a sickman, who was one of the newer settlers in the valley.