We were obliged to arraign her before her mother. She had told
a lie."
The doctor glowered upon the woman a moment, and seemed
to be trying to work up in his mind an understand of a wholly
incomprehensible proposition; then he stormed out:
"She told a lie! DID she? God bless my soul! I tell a million a day!
And so does every doctor. And so does everybody--including you
--for that matter. And THAT was the important thing that authorized
you to venture to disobey my orders and imperil that woman's life!
Look here, Hester Gray, this is pure lunacy; that girl COULDN'T tell
a lie that was intended to injure a person. The thing is impossible
--absolutely impossible. You know it yourselves--both of you;
you know it perfectly well."
Hannah came to her sister's rescue:
"Hester didn't mean that it was that kind of a lie, and it wasn't.
But it was a lie."
"Well, upon my word, I never heard such nonsense! Haven't you
got sense enough to discriminate between lies! Don't you know
the difference between a lie that helps and a lie that hurts?"
"ALL lies are sinful," said Hannah, setting her lips together
like a vise; "all lies are forbidden."
The Only Christian fidgeted impatiently in his chair. He went to attack
this proposition, but he did not quite know how or where to begin.
Finally he made a venture:
"Hester, wouldn't you tell a lie to shield a person from an undeserved
injury or shame?"
"No.
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