小说园

第54部分（第1页）

Sunday　morning。　That　was　plain　enough；　plain　enough　for　Monday

morning　too。　As　she　went　down　the　hill　to　the　station；　going　to

school；　she　took　the　saying　with　her。

〃Sell　all　thou　hast；　and　give　to　the　poor。〃

Did　she　want　to　do　that？　Did　she　want　to　sell　her

pearl…backed　brush　and　mirror；　her　silver　candlestick；　her

pendant；　her　lovely　little　necklace；　and　go　dressed　in　drab　like

the　Wherrys：　the　unlovely　unbed　Wherrys；　who　were　the　〃poor〃

to　her？　She　did　not。

She　walked　this　Monday　morning　on　the　verge　of　misery。　For

she　did　want　to　do　what　was　right。　And　she　didnt　want　to　do

what　the　gospels　said。　She　didnt　want　to　be　poor……really

poor。　The　thought　was　a　horror　to　her：　to　live　like　the　Wherrys；

so　ugly；　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　everybody。

〃Sell　that　thou　hast；　and　give　to　the　poor。〃

One　could　not　do　it　in　real　life。　How　dreary　and　hopeless　it

made　her！

Nor　could　one　turn　the　other　cheek。　Theresa　slapped　Ursula　on

the　face。　Ursula；　in　a　mood　of　Christian　humility；　silently

presented　the　other　side　of　her　face。　Which　Theresa；　in

exasperation　at　the　challenge；　also　hit。　Whereupon　Ursula；　with

boiling　heart；　went　meekly　away。

But　anger；　and　deep；　writhing　shame　tortured　her；　so　she　was

not　easy　till　she　had　again　quarrelled　with　Theresa　and　had

almost　shaken　her　sisters　head　off。

〃Thatll　teach　you；〃　she　said；　grimly。

And　she　went　away；　unchristian　but　clean。

There　was　something　unclean　and　degrading　about　this　humble

side　of　Christianity。　Ursula　suddenly　revolted　to　the　other

extreme。

〃I　hate　the　Wherrys；　and　I　wish　they　were　dead。　Why　does　my

father　leave　us　in　the　lurch　like　this；　making　us　be　poor　and

insignificant？　Why　is　he　not　more？　If　we　had　a　father　as　he

ought　to　be；　he　would　be　Earl　William　Brangwen；　and　I　should　be

the　Lady　Ursula？　What　right　have　I　to　be　poor？　crawling