CHAPTER XIX.--THE REASON OF THE DELAY.
The next morning Carol rose at his usual time, and breakfasted with hiscousins in the school-room. Miss Markham looked at him with puzzledeyes, especially when he told her he was quite ready to begin lessonsagain. She could not understand it. There seemed to be some mysteryconnected with his marvellous recovery from what everybody believed tobe serious injuries. She took the opportunity, when his cousins wereout of the room, to ask him quietly, "What has made you well so quickly,Carol?"
"Ask Auntie, please, Miss Markham, I am not allowed to talk about it,"he replied. Miss Markham's wonderment was considerably increased, forMrs. Mandeville had only told her, when the boy first came to the Manor,that he had been taught religious tenets which were altogetherunorthodox. She did not then connect that remark with the boy's quickrecovery. He often made remarks which surprised her. Sometimes shepondered over a remark he had made, and found there was more in it thanat first had appeared. If she attempted to draw him out by questions,he became strangely silent and reserved. Once, it was during a historylesson, Carol exclaimed, "But evil could have no power, Miss Markham, ifeveryone knew that God--good--governs. If we had no belief in evil,evil could not hurt us."
Thinking over the words afterwards, Miss Markham admitted to herselfthat to acknowledge the omnipotence of God, must deprive evil of anypower. But she wondered how it was Carol had come to see it so clearly.She could not, however, draw him to talk any more on the subject. Afterbreakfast Mrs. Mandeville came to the school-room with the longed-forletter in her hand, and, as permission was readily given, Carol went tohis own room to read it. Eagerly he broke open the envelope, and read:
"WILLMAR COURT, SOUTH DEVON.
"_My dear, dear Carol,_
"The telegram in answer to mine this morning has just arrived. I waitedfor it before commencing my letter to you. I rejoice for you, Truth hastriumphed, error has fallen. When I returned to the Court last night,after being absent since Saturday afternoon, I found telegrams andletters awaiting me. On learning that the first telegram asking forhelp for you was more than three days old, I had to fight error on myown account, before I could fight it on yours. How quick error is tofind the weak parts of our armor. My human love for you, darling,opened wide the portals, and a crowd of wrong thoughts rushed in. Ifound myself wondering why it should have so happened that I should beaway, when I seemed most wanted, and under circumstances which made itimpossible for the telegrams to be sent on.
"Then, in this sudden tempest of doubts and fears which had rushed uponme, came the words, calm, sweet, tender: 'I, if I, be lifted up, willdraw all men unto me.' And I knew, I was absolutely sure, however greatwere the sense sufferings, Carol had held steadfastly to Truth: theChrist was lifted up; and, though he may not know it, some human hearthas been drawn nearer the eternal Truth, Christ.
"Then I commenced to work for you, and when the roseate hues of earlymorning began to steal into the room, the knowledge came to me thatthere was nothing more to fight--error was overcome. All is well, eventhe delay which at first seemed altogether wrong. Now I will tell youthe reason of it. On Saturday afternoon I was driving your pony in thesmall basket carriage, which you so often used. (Since they cannot havetheir little master, both Bob and the pony think the next best thing isto take me about.) I am becoming well acquainted with all the beautifullanes in the neighborhood, for I frequently take these littleexcursions.
"We were three or four miles from home, when, in a very narrow lane,where it was impossible to pass another vehicle, we met a farmer,driving a dog-cart. The farmer showed his reluctance to be the one toback out of the lane. He accosted me with these words: 'Ma'am, I am ingreat haste; it is a matter of life and death.'
"'Indeed,' I said, 'is it the doctor you are in haste to reach?'
"'No,' he replied, briefly, 'the doctor has given her up. It is thelady that lives at Willmar Court I want to see.'
"'Then you have not far to go,' I said. 'She is here. What is yourtrouble?' Then he told me that his only child, a girl of seven, wasbelieved to be dying. The doctor gave no hope of saving her. 'It seemsthe news of your beautiful healing has spread through the neighboringvillages, and the grief-stricken parents of this little girl thoughtthere might be hope for her.'
"I told the farmer I would go with him, and straightway sent Bob homewith the pony, bidding him to tell the servants I should return as soonas possible, but not to trouble if I did not return that night.
"As soon as we had backed out of the lane, the farmer drove furiously,and it was not long before we reached his homestead. I found the beliefof death so strong surrounding the child, that it seemed necessary toremain there.
"In two days it was overcome, but I stayed another day to give thewearied mother a good rest. The farmer drove me home last night, when Ifound everyone sadly troubled. They had begun to fear I was never goingto return, and Bob could not give them any idea as to who had drivenaway with me. The letters and telegrams from Mandeville naturally addedto their anxiety.
"Now, all is well: Good was governing--Love leading all the time. Icannot yet understand how it was the bull tossed you. Were you not ableto realize your dominion? or was it the mesmerism of fear that seizedyou? Mrs. Mandeville mentions in her letter that you stood between yourlittle cousins and the bull. My dear boy, of course you would! I couldnot imagine your doing otherwise. Doubtless the nurse's fear and thecries of the little girls affected you--the contagion of thought. Hadyou been quite alone, I feel so sure that you would have been able torealize your God-given dominion.
"Tell me more when you write (I am longing for a letter) of the old manand his little grand-daughter. Work always comes to willing hands andloving hearts, and what work is, or ever can be, so beautiful as workfor the Master in His Vineyard. Never think any service little. Merelycarrying even a cup of cold water will in no case lose its reward. Butthe joy of working--_of being allowed to work_--is sufficient. We donot look to the reward.
"With loving thoughts, Believe me always, dear Carol, Your affectionate cousin, ALICIA DESMOND."
Before returning to the school-room, Carol sought his aunt in hermorning-room. After reading his letters, he always took them to her,and asked her to read them too. They were not, perhaps, always asintelligible to her as they were to the boy, but they never failed tointerest her. She was conscious of a growing desire to know the writer,whom she had never met. Later in the day Carol received another letter,delivered by hand. It was from Mrs. Burton, joyfully telling him thedoctor was willing for her to take Eloise into Devonshire to his cousin.
He wrote immediately to Miss Desmond, asking her if she would inviteMrs. Burton and her little daughter to the Court, explaining the reason.He knew the invitation would not be long in coming.
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