Born in Exile

ed by native silliness and social bias, will submit to a tardy educat

trusted to home-governesses of respectable incapacity. Martin Warricombe married her because she was one of a little circle of girls, much alike as to birth and fortune, with whom he had grown up in familiar communication. Timidity imposed restraints upon him which made his choice almost a matter of accident. As befalls often enough, the betrothal became an accomplished fact whilst he was still doubting whether he desired it or not. When the fervour of early wedlock was outlived, he had no difficulty in

palaeontology she dimly apprehended, for in the early days of their union her husband had felt it desirable to explain to her what was meant by geologic time and how he reconciled his views on that subject with the demands of religious faith. Among the books which he induced her to read were Buckland's Bridgewater Treatise and the works of Hugh Miller. The intellectual result was chaotic, and Mrs. Warricombe settled at last into a comfortable private opinion, tha

rs, pride and disapproval, the old hereditary habits of mind, and a new order of ideas which could only be admitted with the utmost slowness. Buckland's Radicalism deeply offended her; she marvelled how such depravity could display itself in a child of hers. Yet in the end her ancestral prejudices so far yielded as to allow of her smiling at sentiments which she once heard with horror. Maurice, whom she loved more tenderly, all but taught her to see the cogency of a syllogism-amiably set forth. And Louis, with his indolent good-nature, laughed her into a tolerance of many things which had moved her indignation. But it was to Sidwell that in the end she owed most. Beneath the surface of ordinary and rather backward girlhood, which discouraged her father's hopes, Sidwell was quietly developing a personality distinguished by the refinement of its ethical motives. Her orthodoxy seemed as unimpeachable as Mrs Warricombe could desire, yet as she grew into womanhood, a

e qualities of pure air: these were the points of sincerity of moral judgment, a gentle force which operated as character to which Mrs. Warricombe owed the humanisation observable when one compared her in 1885 with what she was, say, in 1874, when the sight of Professor Walsh moved her to acrimony, and when she conceived a pique against

most as strong, and much the same, as those of his wife; but with the vagueness of emotional logic natural to his constitution, he satisfied himself that, by conceding a few inessential points, he left himself at liberty to follow the scientific movements of the day without damage to his religious convictions. The tolerant smile so frequently on his countenance was directed as often in the one quarter as in the other. Now it signified a gentle reproof of those men of science who, like Professor Walsh, 'went too far', whose zeal for knowledge led them 'to forget the source of all true enlightenment'; now it expressed a forbearing sympathy with such as erred in the opposite direction, who were 'too literal in their i

to discern their tendency, to derive from them a consistent theory of the nature of things. Though a man be well versed in a science such as palaeontology it does not follow that he will view it in its philosophical relations. Martin had kept himself informed of all the facts appertaining to his study which the age brought forth, but without developi

ith a spirit of expansive teleology. Whilst Buckland was still of boyish years, the father treated with bantering good-humour such outbreaks of irreverence as came immediately under his notice, weakly abstaining from any attempt at di

postponed debate, but he could not regard the day when conclusions would be demanded of him as indefinitely remote. Desiring to dwell in the familiar temporary abode, his structure of incongruities and facile reconcilements, he found it no longer weather-proof. The times were shaking his position with earthquake after earthquake. His sons (for he suspected that Louis was hardly less emancipated than Buckland) stood far aloof from him, and must in private feel contemptuous of his old-fashioned beliefs. In Sidwell, however, he had a companion more and more indispensable, and he could not imagine that her faith would ever give way before the

less self-reliant nature. But here was no instance of a dotard becoming the easy prey of a scientific Tartufe. Martin's intellect had suffered no decay. His hale features and dignified bearing expressed the mind which was ripened by sixty years of pleasurable activity, and which was learning to regard with steadier view the problems it had hitherto shirked. He could not ch

-that Buckland should look askance on a case of 'conversion'; for his own part, he understood that such a step might be prompted by interest, but he found it difficult to believe that to a man in Peak's position, the Church would offer temptation thus coercive. Nor could he discern in the candidate for a curacy any mark of dishonourable pur

onths at Exeter, that Buckland again came down to visit his relatives. On the evening of his

ister, 'he lunched with us, and th

e come

slating a German book which

what

er has only mention

which Sidwell loved so much that, when the season allowed it, she often wore a little spray of it at her

re he lies about on the tables and chairs. I should have thought he was t

evidently in n

dy,' she made answer. 'It was to

read it, eh? You're beg

mble way,

her things. Humble en

M'Naughten,' returned his sis

ou.-I wonder what Pea

ly don'

ther question. What

d him with quie

on't know him very well yet.

you as the kind of man like

ny reason why

th wrinkles of dissat

s to like h

ink father

ppose it's

rig

r came under my observation,' exclaimed

hould be studyin

es

er habits of tone and feature would allow. 'Why should you refuse to admit an error in your own way of looking at

er, with impatience. 'But I should certainly have maintain

you would have been,' r

I don'

don't

t acknowledge what

ejudice for a moment to inquire what our religion really means? Not o

hat I studied the questio

t that was in

does manho

different persons. In

joinder, when they were interrupted by th

ee Mr. Peak this e

rry,' was the

rl hes

ether-with Mr. Peak, I mean-

see abo

nt slowly f

obacco, and his son, though never quite at ease without pipe or cigar, denied himself in this roo

t he most wished to converse upon had been postponed to many

reply, with a look of frankn

rom him once since he came down, and h

he proposes to ta

as he unbosomed himself to you

dences are hard

father, you don't f

land regarded the circumstances of Peak's sojourn in the neighbourhood with feelings allied to contempt, he could neither adopt the tone of easy confiden

ll me,' he replied, 'wheth

with pure intentions, yet such was his sincere belief. Made tolerant in many directions by the cultivation of his shrewdness, he was hopelessly biassed in j

't be sure that there

was not sorry to discuss this side of the affair. 'I suppose there is n

ns to ascertain that. His account of

satisfaction he did

some acquain

ay, perhaps-but the results are satisfactory. No, I haven't come across any of his friends

ther l

sing in that assoc

gh the fellows I speak

oug

ewder smile, 'that they are not exactly the c

bly he has journalis

of course, find out much more about him, but it seemed to me that to have a

father, gravely, 'that you have b

the least objectionable w

d his lips and l

me by no means disagreeably. Now I will add that I am convinced of his good faith-as sure of it as I am of his remarkable talents and aptitude for the profession he aims at. In spite of your extraordinary distrust, I can't feel a moment's

to his father's reproof when the point a

lowed myself; at all events, I shouldn't have been at ease without getting that assurance. If Peak had heard, and had said to me, "What the deuce

rself in a position

do

of grave kindness, 'from your strange inability to gr

do

ut do try to be less narrow. Are you una

ems more than likely th

ition is so strangely unphilosophic that I don't know how a fellow of your brains can hold it for a moment. If

am, but it is re

s head, and with a laug

, 'that Buckland is defective on the side of humour. For a man who claims to be philosophical he takes things with a rather

of this was not

ppened to depress

nt for intervals of reaction. And how much sounder his judgment of men would be if he could only see t

led, and sa

it likely

ook every opportunity of enjoying Sylvia's conversation was no secret; whether the predilection was mutual, none of his relatives could say, for in a matter such as this Buckland was by nature disposed to reticence. Sidwell's intimacy with Miss Moorhouse put her in no better positio

; at dinner he was noticeably silent, and instead of going to the drawing-room afterwards he betook himself to the studio up on the roof, and smoked in so

re?' she asked, after observing h

n.-Why don't you kee

interest in i

It seems to me that nothing

t it better to

I suppose, of their ridiculous education-their minds are never trained to fixity of purpose. They never understand t

ll, with a laugh, 'and so worthless. I won

the times throw

thing as woman in the abst

ions hence, but as yet the best of you can only vary the type

n't know the number. Father

a note. I must get back to

ped to have yo

r next

e family as a rule spent very quiet evenings. By ten o'clock Mrs Warricombe and Fanny had retired, and Sidwell was left either to t

' Buckland asked, f

no doubt in

u feel satisfied with th

life could su

nk of living he

rned, I hope nothing

ll scent yourself with sweetbrier?

if it will

r so dull, and mother doesn't seem to know how to pass the days. It wouldn't be bad for Louis to be living w

d her brother wat

uld care for it,' she said, 'but I

thinks of the weather in England? Fanny might have a time at Bedford College or some such place-she

ing which affected the interests of his relatives. As the summer drew on, Mrs Warricombe began to lend serious ear to this suggestion of change, and Martin was at all events moved to discuss the pros and cons of half a year in London. Sidwell prese

ton. One evening, when Mrs. Moorhouse and Sylvia were at the Warricombes', three or four Exeter people came to dine, an

our day this is the proper study of womankind. Hitherto we have given serious attention only to one another. Mr

with the theologian and found him interesting, was so good as to hope that

book beneath one of the great trees of the garden. At that moment Sy

't a great humorist! I don't think I

ony of the Rocks, a richly bound

in the ark. He decides that it wouldn't-that the deluge must have spared a portion of the earth; but the details of his argument are delicious, especially this place where he says that

e complexion, strongly-marked eyebrows, subtle lips, were shadowed beneath a great garden hat, and a loose wh

nted Sidwell. 'Miracle can be but mirac

leap we have made! I should think there's hardly a country curat

idwell, smiling. 'One stil

Mr. Peak'

lective curiosity, and her friend answered with s

th Noah, we may tak

th miracles, howeve

ill deal chiefly with the mo

trong as a moralist

ions about the present st

here any distinctly

ll replied, 'and so do ou

ouse ponde

itting her brows with a hint of humorous exaggeration. 'I

was st

nk of becomin

y recognise nowadays th

der over the sunny grass to the red-floweri

mulation,' she said at length. 'I can't r

ile anything else,'

s you as a r

u n

keep up such a pretence. However you justify it, it implies conscious

im?' Sylvia asked, smiling very

yone with sincerity excep

he allows hon

ing a little, she put a question which i

omen who declared th

ver

e brim. Here, in the shade, bees were humming; from the house c

e who found a pleasure in

ia replied, with an air of amused reminiscence. 'M

hink

against religion

collects, I dare say?' suggested

her father nor mother.-(How Fanny's touch improves!)-Sh

detes

whole, she stood far above most women. She hated falsehood-hated it with all her heart, and a story of injus

lost sig

known her fate. I rather think there will have

er,' said Sidwell, 'on what

ggested the other, gaily. 'I fanc

, walking hither under parasols. The girls rose to meet the