him, and he realized she intervened between him and that



solution.

What was she doing here?



(9)

The great Angel seemed still to be near at hand, limitless



space was all about him, and yet the bishop perceived that he was

now sitting in the arm-chair in his bedroom in the palace of



Princhester. He was both there and not there. It seemed now as if

he had two distinct yet kindred selves, and that the former



watched the latter. The latter was now awakening to the things

about him; the former marked his gestures and listened with an



entire detachment to the words he was saying. These words he was

saying to Lady Ella: "God is coming to rule the world, I tell



you. We must leave the church."

Close to him sat Lady Ella, watching him with an expression in



which dismay and resolution mingled. Upon the other side of him,

upon a little occasional table, was a tray with breakfast things.



He was no longer the watcher now, but the watched.

Lady Ella bent towards him as he spoke. She seemed to struggle



with and dismiss his astonishing statement.

"Edward," she said, "you have been taking a drug." He looked



round at his night table to see the little phial. It had gone.

Then he saw that Lady Ella held it very firmly in her hand.



"Dunk came to me in great distress. He said you were insensible

and breathing heavily. I came. I realized. I told him to say



nothing to any one, but to fetch me a tray with your breakfast. I

have kept all the other servants away and I have waited here by



you.... Dunk I think is safe.... You have been muttering and

moving your head from side to side...."



The bishop's mind was confused. He felt as though God must be

standing just outside the room. "I have failed in my duty," he



said. "But I am very near to God." He laid his hand on her arm.

"You know, Ella, He is very close to us...."



She looked perplexed.

He sat up in his chair.



"For some months now," he said, "there have been new forces at

work in my mind. I have been invaded by strange doubts and still



stranger realizations. This old church of ours is an empty mask.

God is not speciallyconcerned in it."



"Edward!" she cried, "what are you saying?"

"I have been hesitating to tell you. But I see now I must tell



you plainly. Our church is a cast hull. It is like the empty skin

of a snake. God has gone out of it."



She rose to her feet. She was so horrified that she staggered

backward, pushing her chair behind her. "But you are mad," she



said.

He was astonished at her distress. He stood up also.



"My dear," he said, "I can assure you I am not mad. I should

have prepared you, I know...."



She looked at him wild-eyed. Then she glanced at the phial,

gripped in her hand.



"Oh!" she exclaimed, and going swiftly to the window emptied

out the contents of the little bottle. He realized what she was



doing too late to prevent her.

"Don't waste that!" he cried, and stepping forward caught hold



of her wrist. The phial fell from her white fingers, and crashed

upon the rough paved garden path below.



"My dear," he cried, "my dear. You do not understand."

They stood face to face. "It was a tonic," he said. "I have



been ill. I need it."

"It is a drug," she answered. "You have been uttering



blasphemies."

He dropped her arm and walked half-way across the room. Then he



turned and faced her.

"They are not blasphemies," he said. "But I ought not to have



surprised you and shocked you as I have done. I want to tell you

of changes that have happened to my mind."



"Now!" she exclaimed, and then: "I will not hear them now.

Until you are better. Until these fumes--"



Her manner changed. "Oh, Edward!" she cried, "why have you done

this? Why have you taken things secretly? I know you have been



sleepless, but I have been so ready to help you. I have been

willing--you know I have been willing--for any help. My life



is all to be of use to you...."

• bishop [´biʃəp] n.主教 (初中英语单词)


• vision [´viʒən] n.视觉；想象力；幻影 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• comparison [kəm´pærisən] n.比较；对照；比喻 (初中英语单词)


• mostly [´məustli] ad.主要地；多半；通常 (初中英语单词)


• secondary [´sekəndəri, -deri] a.第二的；次要的 (初中英语单词)


• invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)


• disaster [di´zɑ:stə] n.灾难，不幸 (初中英语单词)


• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)


• violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• dispute [di´spju:t] v.&n.争论，辩论；争吵 (初中英语单词)


• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• despise [di´spaiz] vt.轻视，藐视 (初中英语单词)


• confusion [kən´fju:ʒən] n.混乱(状态)；骚乱 (初中英语单词)


• learning [´lə:niŋ] n.学习；学问；知识 (初中英语单词)


• reaction [ri´ækʃən] n.反应(力) (初中英语单词)


• hatred [´heitrid] n.憎恨，敌意 (初中英语单词)


• mission [´miʃən] n.代表团；使馆vt.派遣 (初中英语单词)


• restore [ri´stɔ:] vt.(使)恢复；修复 (初中英语单词)


• definite [´definit] a.确定的，明确的 (初中英语单词)


• purple [´pə:pl] n.紫色 a.紫(红)的 (初中英语单词)


• garment [´gɑ:mənt] n.衣服，外衣 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• dismay [dis´mei] n.惊慌 vt.使惊慌 (初中英语单词)


• resolution [,rezə´lu:ʃən] n.决心；坚决；果断 (初中英语单词)


• occasional [ə´keiʒənəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (初中英语单词)


• dismiss [dis´mis] vt.解散；下课；解雇 (初中英语单词)


• firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)


• distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)


• swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)


• contents [´kɔ:ntents] n.容纳物；要旨 (初中英语单词)


• perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)


• pitiful [´pitifəl] a.可怜的；慈悲的 (高中英语单词)


• caesar [´si:zə] n.凯撒；暴君；独裁者 (高中英语单词)


• passionate [´pæʃənit] a.易动情的；易怒的 (高中英语单词)


• inspiration [,inspi´reiʃən] n.鼓舞；灵感；启发 (高中英语单词)


• cardinal [´kɑ:dinəl] a.主要的 n.深红色 (高中英语单词)


• pastor [´pɑ:stə] n.牧师 (高中英语单词)


• sermon [´sə:mən] n.说教；训诫；讲道 (高中英语单词)


• clergyman [´klə:dʒimən] n.牧师；教士 (高中英语单词)


• nowhere [´nəuweə] n.无处；不知道 (高中英语单词)


• thoughtful [´θɔ:tfəl] a.深思的；体贴的 (高中英语单词)


• archbishop [,ɑ:tʃ´biʃəp] n.大主教 (高中英语单词)


• customary [´kʌstəməri] a.通常的；惯例的 (高中英语单词)


• motionless [´məuʃənləs] a.静止的；固定的 (高中英语单词)


• sphere [sfiə] n.圆体；天体；范围 (高中英语单词)


• kindred [´kindrid] n.亲属关系；同源关系 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• astonishing [əs´tɔniʃiŋ] a.令人惊讶的 (高中英语单词)


• specially [´speʃəli] ad.专门地；特别地 (高中英语单词)


• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)


• half-way [´hɑ:fwei] ad.半途；几乎 (高中英语单词)


• secretly [´si:kritli] ad.秘密地；隐蔽地 (高中英语单词)


• advent [´ædvent] n.来临；降临 (英语四级单词)


• venerable [´venərəbəl] a.可尊敬的；森严的 (英语四级单词)


• theology [θi´ɔlədʒi] n.神学 (英语四级单词)


• nervously [´nə:vəsli] ad.神经质地；胆怯地 (英语四级单词)


• consort [´kɔnsɔ:t] n.&v.配偶；合作；一致 (英语四级单词)


• testament [´testəment] n.契约，誓约；遗嘱 (英语四级单词)


• armchair [´ɑ:mtʃeə] n.扶手椅 (英语四级单词)


• morrow [´mɔrəu] n.翌日 (英语四级单词)


• starry [´stɑ:ri] a.星光照耀的，闪亮的 (英语四级单词)


• detachment [di´tætʃmənt] n.分开(离)；分遣队 (英语四级单词)


• turkish [´tə:kiʃ] a.&n.土耳其人(语)的 (英语六级单词)


• preaching [´pri:tʃiŋ] n.说教 a.说教的 (英语六级单词)


• repentance [ri´pentəns] n.悔悟，悔改；忏悔 (英语六级单词)


• holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)


• episcopal [i´piskəpəl] a.主教的，主教管辖的 (英语六级单词)


• trance [trɑ:ns] n.恍惚；出神 (英语六级单词)


• awakening [ə´weikəniŋ] n.&a.觉醒(中的) (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)