Prev | Current Page 496 | Next

Walpole, Hugh, Sir, 1884-1941

"The Captives"


"Mother?" Amy smiled. "No, mother can do nothing."
"Well," said the doctor, "any sudden shock will kill him--I warn
you."
When the fog came down upon the city Warlock was already in too
thick a fog of his own to perceive it.
He was sure now of nothing. It seemed as though all the spirits of
the other world now were taunting him, but he felt that this was the
work of the Devil, who wished to destroy his faith before the Great
Day arrived. He thought now that the Devil was closely pursuing him,
and he seemed to hear first his taunting whisper and then the voice
of God encouraging him: "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
He had lost now almost all consciousness of what he really expected
to happen when the Day arrived, but he was dimly aware that if
nothing happened at all his whole influence with his people would be
gone. Nevertheless this did not trouble him very greatly; the
congregation of the Chapel seemed now dimly remote. The only human
being who was not remote was Martin; his love for his son had not
been touched by his other struggles, it had been even intensified.
But the love had grown a terror, ever increasing, lest Martin should
leave him.


Pages:
484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508