For my part, if I had everything my soul could
desire, except God with me, I could but pray that he would come
to me, or not let me live a moment longer; for it would be but
the life of a devil."
"What do you mean by a devil?"
"A power that lives against its life," said Mary.
Mr. Redmain answered nothing. He did not perceive an atom of
sense in the words. They gave him not a glimmer. Neither will
they to many of my readers; while not a few will think they see
all that is in them, and see nothing.
He was silent for a long time--whether he waked or slept she
could not tell.
The annoyance was great in the home conclave when Mewks brought
the next piece of news--namely, that there was that designing
Marston in the master's room again, and however she got into the
house he was sure _he_ didn't know.
"All the same thing over again, miss!--hard at it a-tryin' to
convert 'im!--And where's the use, you know, miss? If a man like
my master's to be converted and get off, I don't for my part see
where's the good o' keepin' up a devil."
"I am quite of your opinion, Mewks," said Sepia.
But in her heart she was ill at ease.
All day long she had been haunted with an ever-recurring
temptation, which, instead of dismissing it, she kept like a dog
in a string. Different kinds of evil affect people differently.
Ten thousand will do a dishonest thing, who would indignantly
reject the dishonest thing favored by another ten thousand.
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