"Shewentoutanhourago,George,anditisgrowingdark.Thisisnotthetimeforamodestmaidentobeout.AndJaneworriesme.Shehasusedupallthemilk,andhasforgottentoorderthemeat.DolookforBithiah.""Verywell,mother.IexpectsheistakingherfavouritewalkbyFarmerCarwellsmeadows.Imustjustseeifthereareanylettersformeinthestudy."Therewasamplelightintheroomwhenheentered,forthecurtainsweredrawnbackfromtheopenwindow.Heapproachedthedeskinanabsentframeofmind,butsuddenlyhisattentionwasfixedbyanamazingcircumstance.Ontheblotting-paperlaythepileofbillswhichhadbeenstolenfromhimonthepreviousnight.Againduringhisabsencethethiefhadevidentlyentered.Theplunderwasrestored.Theministershook,andtheperspirationbeadedhisbrow.Thenhenoticedthathiskeys,whichhehadleftbehind,dangledfromthedrawerwhichhadcontainedthepearls."Gone!"hecriedwildly."Thepearlsaregone!"Foramomenthestoodstill,lookingatthereturnedbills--theemptydrawer.Then,inafrenzyoffear,herushedfromthehouse.CHAPTERIIIADISAPPOINTMENTOriginallyKorahBrandhadbeenasailor--carelessofreligion,andcontenttoliveforthedaywithouttakingthoughtofthemorrow.BorninEngland,trainedasaweaver,hehadreallywanderedtoAmericaandtheSouthSeasatthedictationofarestlessandinquiringspirit.Inthoseunregeneratedayshehadbeenalawuntohimself,andtherebysufficientlyill-governed.Butthechancewordsofamissionary,metwithinSamoa,hadturnedhisthoughtstowardsreligion,and,desertinghisseafaringlife,hehenceforthworkedasalabourerintheLordsvineyard.Yetthischangehardenedratherthansoftenedhischaracter.HeheldbytheMosaiclaw,andinterpretedthepreceptsofChristinaspiritofnarrowbigotry."Aneyeforaneye,atoothforatooth;""Ifthyrighthandoffendthee,cutitoff."Thesewerethefundamentalarticlesofhiscreed.Hespokemuchofthepunishment,littleofthepromise,anddauntedthemindsofhishearerswiththreatsofeternaldoom.Inhisownwayhewasagoodman,butincapableofpreachingonthetext,"GodisLove."HehardlyunderstoodthatthesethreewordsformthetruebasisofChristianity.InanswertoJohnsonsurgentletter.Brandpresentedhimselfnextmorninginthestudy.Hehadvisiteditseveraltimesbefore,yetonthisoccasionheagainglancedcriticallyroundhimasifinsearchofsomeindulgencedeservingofrebuke.Buttheroomanditscontentswereplain--evenpoor.Thefurniturewasofstaineddeal,thefloorwascoveredwithcoarsecocoa-nutmattingbroughtbyitsownerfromKoiau.Thereweresavageweaponsonthewallsbetweenthewell-filledbookcases:shellsofstrangehueandformrangedonthemantelpiece,andbright-colouredchintzcurtains,drawnbackwithred,white,andbluecords,drapedtheonewindow.OntheselastBrandseyesrestedwithdisapprobation."Thelustoftheeyeisthere,brother,"hedeclaredtothepensiveJohnson;"whydoyoudeckyourdwellingwithpurpleandfinelinen?""MissArnottgavethemtome,"explainedJohnson,liftinghisheavyeyes;"shethoughttheroomlookedbare,anddrapedthewindowherself.Thecurtainsareonlyofchintz,brotherBrand,althoughthecordsareofsilk.Theycanscarcelydoharm.""AdmitGodslightintoyourtabernacle.Letnotyourheartbeledastraybythegiftsofalightwoman."Thoughhefeltsickinmindandbody,Johnsoncouldnotletthisremarkpasswithoutaprotest."MissArnottisoneofourmostdevotedsisters,"saidhe,stiffly;"shewasonceinthebondsofsinasasingingwoman,butshegaveuptheallurementsoftheworldtoservehumblyinourZion.""Theoldleavenisstillinher,brother.Suchgayadornmentssavouroftheworld.Letmesayawordinseason----""Thisisnottheseasonforwords,"interruptedJohnson,impatiently."Ihavetospeakwithyouonotherandmoreimportantmatters.""Nothingismoreimportantthanamanssoul,"rebukedKorah,shakinghisshaggyhead;"butIsupposeyoudesiretotalkofthemaidenBithiah?""Yes.IwantyoutotakeherawaytoKoiauassoonaspossible;butIfearthatyouwillnotbeabletodoso."Johnsonroseandpacedtheroom."Shehasdisappeared,"hesaid,inalowvoice.“喬治，她一小時前出去了，天漸漸黑了。這不是一個謙虛的少女外出的時候。簡讓我擔心。她把牛奶都喝光了，忘記點菜了。一定要找比提亞。”“很好，媽媽。我想她最喜歡在農民卡威爾的草地上散步。我得看看書房裏有沒有給我的信。”他進來時房間裏光線充足，因為窗簾從開著的窗戶拉了回來。他心不在焉地走近書桌，但突然間，一個驚人的情况引起了他的注意。吸墨紙上放著前一天晚上從他那兒偷來的一堆鈔票。在他不在的時候，小偷顯然又進來了。劫掠物被歸還。牧師抖了抖，額頭上沾滿了汗珠。然後他注意到他留下的鑰匙掛在裝珍珠的抽屜上。“走了！”他大哭起來。”珍珠不見了！”他一動不動地站了一會兒，看著退回的鈔票——空抽屜。然後，在恐懼的狂亂中，他從房子裏沖了出來。第三章失望原來，可拉·布蘭德是個水手——對宗教漠不關心，只顧過一天，不去想明天。他出生在英國，受過織布訓練，在一種不安分和求索的精神的指引下，他真的遊蕩到了美國和南海。在那些不可再生的日子裏，他自己就是一條法律，囙此治理得很不好。但一比特傳教士在薩摩亞偶然遇到的話，使他的思想轉向了宗教，他放弃了航海生活，從此在耶和華的葡萄園當了一名工人。然而，這種變化並沒有軟化他的性格，反而使他變得堅強。他遵守摩西律法，以狹隘的偏執精神解釋基督的訓詞以眼還眼，以牙還牙，“如果你的右手得罪了你，就砍掉它。”這是他的信條的基本條款。他大談懲罰，少談應許，用永恒的厄運威脅嚇唬聽眾。以他自己的管道，他是一個好人，但不能在經文“上帝就是愛”上說教。他幾乎不明白這三個字構成了基督教的真正基礎。回復約翰遜的緊急信件。布蘭德第二天早上出現在書房裏。他以前去過好幾次，但這次他又責備地環顧四周，好像在尋求一種值得責備的放縱。但是房間和裡面的東西都很簡陋——甚至很差。傢俱是髒兮兮的，地板上鋪著粗糙的可哥果墊，是主人從高橋帶來的。壁爐臺上擺著各種顏色和形狀奇特的貝殼，一扇窗戶上掛著鮮豔的印花棉布窗簾，後面拉著紅、白、藍三色的繩子。布蘭德的眼睛裏充滿了失望。“眼睛的欲望在那裡，兄弟，”他對沉思的約翰遜說，“你為什麼用紫色和細麻布裝潢你的房子？”“阿諾特小姐把它們給了我，”約翰遜抬起沉重的眼睛解釋說，“她以為房間裏光禿禿的，自己就把窗戶蒙上了。窗簾只有兄弟牌的印花棉布，雖然窗簾繩是絲綢的。他們幾乎不會造成傷害。”“讓上帝的光進入你的帳幕。不要讓你的心被光明女子的恩賜所迷惑。”約翰遜雖然身心俱疲，但他不能不提出抗議就讓這句話過去。“阿諾特小姐是我們最忠實的姐妹之一，”他僵硬地說，“她曾經作為一個唱歌的女人被罪惡束縛，但她放弃了世界的誘惑，在我們的錫安謙卑地服務。”“老酵還在她裡面，兄弟。這樣歡快的裝潢使世界充滿了味道。讓我適時地說一句話——”“現在不是說話的時候，”約翰遜不耐煩地插嘴說我得和你談談其他更重要的事情。”“沒有什麼比一個人的靈魂更重要的了，”可拉搖著他那蓬亂的頭責備道，“但我想你想談談比提亞靚女吧？”“是的。“我要你儘快把她帶到寇堯去，但我怕你做不到。”約翰遜站起身來，在房間裏踱步“她不見了，”他低聲說bleforyouorformyself.Iloveyou,butyourheartbelongstothisworldlyFinland.IshalltellalltoBrotherKorah,andheshalltakeyoubackatoncetoKoiau.""AndJack!"falteredTera,inlowtones."Youshallneverseehimagain,"saidJohnson,fiercely;"inyourowndespiteyoushallbesavedfromthatinfidel."Teralookedathimsocontemptuouslythathewinced."Doginthemanger!"saidshe,insultingly."IamnottoseeJack,becauseIrefusetoloveyou.Well!weshallseeifachiefsdaughteristobeyourslave.Tofaalii"[farewell,chief],andwithahaughtyairshewalkedoutoftheroom.ItmighthavebeenthatJohnsonwouldhavefollowed,toexplainhismeaningmoreclearly,andeventodefendhisconductsofaraswaspossible,hadnothismotherreturnedjustatthatmoment.Sheatonceengagedhiminaconversationtouchingthedelinquenciesoftheirmaid-of-all-work,amulishcreaturewhowasoneofthatgreatarmyofcookssentbythedevilforthespoliationofGodsfood.Theman,intentonhisownthoughts,listenedmechanically,andseizedthefirstopportunitytogetaway.Thatsamemorninghewroteanote,askingBrand,themissionary,tocallandseehimaboutTera;andso,withirondetermination,
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