CHAPTER L A MIRACLE

“’Tis a miracle! ’Tis nothing but a miracle!” cried Father Maloney, for perhaps the fiftieth time.

 

He stared at the yellow parchment upon the table in front of him. It was real, it was tangible¹. He could touch it, finger it, even read the crabbed² writing upon it; and yet, for the life of him, he could hardly bring his brain to believe that he was not dreaming.

 

“To think,” he ejaculated, “that it has lain there under our very noses, so to speak, and us wondering and worrying all these weeks. Well, well!”

 

Lady Mary looked silently at the yellow parchment. Words, so far, had failed her. The bigness of the thing, gripping her, had held her silent.

 

“’Tis plain enough what the old Sir Antony [Pg 348]was up to, when Henry came upon him, the scoundrel,” said Father Maloney. “And the secret kept all these years! ’Tis a miracle has brought it to light now.”

 

Lady Mary raised her head.

 

“And perhaps too late,” she said quietly, voicing the fear at her heart; a fear which, with the last hour, had been waxing stronger.

 

“Too late!” cried Father Maloney cheerily, “not a bit of it. If it’s two miracles is needed, God will be working them; though I’m thinking there’ll be no miracle in bringing the boy home. He’s hiding safe enough somewhere, and will be found before sun-down, I’ll be bound.”

 

“Perhaps,” said Lady Mary very low, and unheeding his words, “I didn’t give up everything whole-heartedly. Perhaps I still held to it in my mind. If I did, it was for him, and not for myself. And now he is gone.”

 

“Rubbish,” said Father Maloney.

 

“Is it?” asked Lady Mary.

 

Father Maloney put his hands upon the table and looked across at her.

 

“Weren’t you doing your best to accept God’s will in the matter?” he demanded.

 

[Pg 349]

 

Lady Mary smiled faintly.

 

“I believe so,” she said.

 

“Then if you did your best, you may be sure God took it as such, and wasn’t holding you to account for any little weakness which was but part and parcel of human nature. I’m thinking He knows the human side of us well enough, and doesn’t look at it too closely when we’re trying to do His will. He’ll not have been taking a trifle of fretting³ into consideration, when your heart was set the right way. You needn’t be thinking He was waiting to pounce⁴ down and punish you because you didn’t throw the Castle over to that young fella with devil a bit may care in your heart. Sure, it’s giving Him the things the human side of us is fretting after that counts. Don’t you go fearing God likes punishing people. Where’s your faith at all?”

 

“But supposing—” began Lady Mary.

 

“I’m not supposing at all,” broke in Father Maloney. “The child’s safe enough. And if he isn’t—though surely ’tis in my heart he is—’tis no punishment to you. Glory be to God! Who do you think loves him best, our Blessed Lord, or you? I tell you he’s as safe in His [Pg 350]keeping, storm or no storm, as if he was in his bed this very minute with you on one side of him, and Biddy on the other. ’Tis all for talking about the Love of Christ we are, and when it comes to the test, it’s precious little believing we show. And I’m as bad as any of ye.”

 

“Then you are anxious,” said Lady Mary quietly.

 

Father Maloney blew his nose.

 

“Anxious! of course I’m anxious,” he said half-testily. “Who wouldn’t be anxious with a bit of a boy out in the weather we’ve had. ’Tis against all sense I shouldn’t be anxious. But he’ll come home right enough,” he ended obstinately⁵.

 

And then suddenly the cloak of quiet dignity, the gentle control, fell from Lady Mary.

 

“Oh, Father,” she cried, “go on saying that. Say it again and again. I don’t mind how often you say it. Somehow,” her lips were trembling piteously, “it makes it seem true.”

 

For the moment she was nothing but a frightened old woman, fear gripping her close.

 

“There, there,” said Father Maloney soothingly⁶ speaking as he would speak to a child, “aren’t I understanding every bit of what you’re feeling. [Pg 351]But remember you’ve got Michael, whatever happens. And whatever happens is the very best thing possible; though, for that matter, as I’ve told ye—” He broke off, listening.

 

And then, through the open window, came the sound of voices, Rosamund’s plainly distinguishable, and a child laughing.

 

“Glory be to God!” cried Father Maloney, the laugh finding triumphant⁷ echo in his voice. “What did I tell you, at all!”

 

1 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

2 crabbed   

adj.脾气坏的；易怒的；（指字迹）难辨认的；（字迹等）难辨认的v.捕蟹( crab的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His mature composi tions are generally considered the more cerebral and crabbed. 他成熟的作品一般被认为是触动理智的和难于理解的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He met a crabbed, cantankerous director. 他碰上了一位坏脾气、爱争吵的主管。 来自辞典例句

3 fretting   

n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的

参考例句：

• Fretting about it won't help. 苦恼于事无补。
• The old lady is always fretting over something unimportant. 那位老妇人总是为一些小事焦虑不安。

4 pounce   

n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意

参考例句：

• Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦？
• We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。

5 obstinately   

ad.固执地，顽固地

参考例句：

• He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。
• Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。

6 soothingly   

adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地

参考例句：

• The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。