"Did you not know that he had been married? It was when he first had the
living twelve years ago. She was a very lovely young thing, half Irish,
and this was the happiest place in the world for two years, till her
little brother was sent home here from school without proper warning of
a fever that had begun there. We all had it, but she and her baby were
the only ones that did not recover! There they lie, under the yew-tree,
where my uncle likes to teach the children. He was terribly struck
down for years, though he went manfully to his work, and it has been
remarkable how his spirits and sociability have returned since he lost
his sight; indeed, he is more consistently bright than ever he was."
"I never saw any one like him," said Rachel. "I have fallen in with
clergy that some call holy, and with some that others call pious, but he
is not a bit like either. He is not even grave, yet there is a calming,
refreshing sense of reverence towards him that would be awe, only it is
so happy."
Alick's response was to bend over her, and kiss her brow. She had never
seen him so much gratified.
"What a comfort your long stay with him must have been," she said
presently, "in the beginning of his blindness!"
"I hope so. It was an ineffable comfort to me to come here out of
Littleworthy croquet, and I think cheering me did him good. Rachel, you
may do and say what you please," he added, earnestly, "since you have
taken to him."
"I could not help it," said Rachel, though a slight embarrassment came
over her at the recollection of Bessie, and at the thought of the narrow
views on which she expected to differ. Then, as Alick continued to
search among the music, she asked, "Will he like the piano to be used?"
"Of all things. Bessie's singing is his delight. Look, could we get this
up?"
"You don't sing, Alick! I mean, do you?"
"We need not betray our talents to worldlings base."
Rachel found her accompaniment the least satisfactory part of the
affair, and resolved on an hour's practice every day in Mr. Clare's
absence, a wholesome purpose even as regarded her health and spirits.
She had just sat down to write letters, feeling for the first time as if
they would not be a toil, when Mr. Clare looked in to ask Alick to refer
to a verse in the Psalms, quoting it in Greek as well as English, and
after the research had been carried to the Hebrew, he told Rachel that
he was going to write his sermon, and repaired to the peacock path,
where he paced along with Ranger and the cat, in faithful, unobtrusive
attendance.