CHAPTER X

Shewaylaidhimafterteaonthestairs. "Father,"shesaidtimidly,ashewaspassingoninsilence. "Well,Ingeborg?"saidtheBishop,pausingandgravelyattentive. "I—wanttotellyouhowsorryIam." "Yes,Ingeborg?" "Sosorry,soashamedthatI—Iwentawaylikethatonthattour.Itwasverywrongofme.AndIwentwithyourmoney.Oh,itwasugly.I—hopeyou'llforgiveme,father?" "Freely,Ingeborg.ItwouldbesadindeedifIlaggedbehindourGreatExemplarinthematterofforgiveness." "Then—Imaycomebacktowork?" "Whenyoutellmeyouhavebrokenoffyourclandestineengagement." "Butfather—" "Therearenobuts,Ingeborg." "Butyousaidinyoursermon—" TheBishoppassedon. InhereagernessIngeborgputherhanddetaininglyonhissleeve,afamiliarityhithertounheardofinthatorderedandtemperatehousehold. "Butyoursermon—yousaidinyoursermon,father—why,howcanfreeforgivenesshaveconditions?Theydidn'tdoitthatwayintheBible"—(thistohimwhowasbytheverynatureofhishighofficeaspecialistinforgivenesspoorgirl,poorgirl)—"YousaidyourselfabouttheProdigalSon—hisfatherforgaveeverything,andperhapshe'ddoneworsethingseventhangoingtoLucerne—" "Wearenottold,Ingeborg,ofanyclandestineengagement,"saidtheBishop,pursuinghiswayhamperedbut,ashewasgladtorememberafterwards,calm. "Butyouknowaboutit—howcanitbeclandestinewhenyouknowaboutit?" "Oncemore,Ingeborg,therearenobuts." "Butwhyshouldn'tImarryagoodman?" Shewasactuallyfollowinghimupquiteanumberofthestairs,stillwithherhandonhisarm,andherface,sounattractiveinitsunwomanlyeagerness,quiteclosetohis. "WhyshouldIhavetobeforgivenforwantingtomarryagoodman?Everybodymarriesgoodmen.Motherdid,andyounevertoldhershewasn'tto.Oh,oh—"shewenton,ashisdressing-roomdoorwasquietlycloseduponher,"thatisn'tfreeforgivenessatall—itisn'twhatyousaid—itisn'twhatyousaid—it'sconditions."... Andhervoicefromthedoormatbecamequiteacry,regardlessofpossiblelisteningWilsons. Howgladhewasthathehadbeenabletoputherasidequietlyandgethimself,stillcontrolled,intohisdressing-room.Howstrangeandnewweretheserecklessoutbreaksofunreserve.Andherreasoning,howwhollydeplorable.Shewished,unhappygirl,toenjoytheadvantagesandprivilegesoftheforgivenstatewhilecontinuinginthesinthathadprocuredtheforgiveness.Shewished,hereflected,thoughineducatedlanguage,toeathercakeandhaveit,too.Yetwasitnotclearthatafreeforgivenesscouldonlybebestowedonanunlimitedpenitence?Therecouldbenoreservationsofparticularbranchesofsin.Allmustbelopped.AndtheEastPrussianpastorwasabranchthatmustbeloppedwiththecleanestfinalcutbeforerealsubmissioncouldbesaidtohavesetin. ButtheBishopinhisdressing-room,thoughheretainedhisapparentcalm,wassorewithinhim.Hissermonhadfailed.Thegirlmustbeastone.Itwasn't,hethoughtprofoundlyworried,asifhehadn'tgivenhernearlyaweekforundisturbedthoughtandhadn'tapproachedherthatdaywithallthehelpfulnessinhispowerfromthepulpit.Boththesethingshehaddoneandshewasnonearerrecoverythanbefore.Wastrainingthennothing?Wasenvironmentnothing?Wasbloodnothing?Wasthebloodofbishops,thatbloodwhichofallbloodsmustsurelybemostpotentinpreventingitsinheritorsinalltheirdoings,nothing? OnthefollowingafternoontherewasapartyatthePalace,arrangedbyMrs.BullivantintheconfidentdaysbeforesheknewwhatIngeborgwasreallylike.ItwasacongratulatorypartyforJudith,andallRedchesterandallthecountyhadbeeninvited.Nothingcouldstopthispartybutadeathinthehousehold—anydeath,evenRichards'mightdo,butnothingshortofdeath,thoughttheafflictedlady,wonderinghowshewastogetthroughtheafternoonandasshecreptontohersofaataquartertofourtobeputbyRichardsintothefinalfoldsandknewthatasfourstruckagreatsurgeoffriendswouldpourinoverherandthatforthreehoursshewouldhavetobebrightandhappyaboutJudith,andsympatheticallyexplanatoryaboutIngeborg—wholookedaltogethertoooddtobeexplainedonlybyalongpastdentist—shefeltsoverylowthatshewasunabletostopherselffromthinkingitwasapitypeopledidn'tdiealittleoftener.Especiallymaids.Especiallymaidswhowerebeingsoclumsywiththecushions.... AndtheMasterofAnaniashadbeentheresincebeforeluncheon,andhowexhaustingthatwas.Shehadhadtodomostoftheentertainingofhim,theBishopbeingunavoidablyabsentfromthemeal,andIngeborg,whodidtheconversationinthatfamily,notbeingabletonowbecauseshewasindisgrace,andJudith,dearchild,neversayingmuchatanytime.AndtheMasterhadbeenveryexuberantandhisvitality,delightfulofcoursebutjustalittleoverwhelmingathisage,hadremindedherthatsheneededcare.Howdifficultithadbeentogethimoutintothegarden,tosomewherewhereshewasn't.Shehadn'tgothimtheretillhalf-pasttwo,bywhichtimehehadbeenvitalwithoutstoppingsincetwelve,andeventhenshehadhadtoinventapear-treeinfullblossomthatshewasn'tatallsureabout,andtellhimshehadhearditwasawonderfulsightando