"Only his house, madam. Miss Randolph, I am charged, you know,
with your studies to-day."
I was not in the mood of accepting Mr. De Saussure's arm, but
just then it was the only thing to do. My mother and Ransom
and Hugh Marshall were presently some little distance behind,
an interval separating us; and Mr. De Saussure and I followed
the shores of the lake, taking such counsel together as our
somewhat diverse moods made possible. I was thinking, what a
life of hard work the two prophets Elijah must have known in
their time; he who was first of the name, and his greater
successor, John the Baptist. Each of them worked alone,
against a universal tide of adverse evil that flooded the
land. If I found it so sorrowful to be alone in my family and
society, what must they have felt with the whole world against
them. And Elijah's spirit did once give out, brave as he was:
"It is enough, O Lord; take away my life." I thought I could
understand it. To be all alone; to have no sympathy in what is
dearest to you; to face opposition and scorn and ridicule and
contumely while trying to do people good and bring them to
good; to have only God on your side, with the bitter
consciousness that those whom you love best are arrayed
against him; your family and country; - I suppose nobody can
tell how hard that is to endure, but he who has tasted it. My
taste of it was light indeed; but a half hour with Miss
Cardigan would have been inexpressibly good to me that day. So
I thought, as I walked along the bank of the lake with Mr. De
Saussure; and then I remembered "my hiding-place and my
shield."
"You are very silent to-day, Miss Randolph," said my companion
at length. I may remark, in passing, that he had not been.
"It is enough to look, and to think," I answered, "with such a
sight before one's eyes."
"Do you know," said he, "such independence of all the exterior
world, - of mortals, I mean, - is very tantalising to those
disregarded mortals?"
"Do you find it so? It is fair then to presume, in a place
like this, that what takes up my attention has not so much
charm for you."
"That is severe!" he said. "Do you think I do not see all this
beauty before us? But pardon me, - have you seen it?"
"I have tasted it every step of the way, Mr. De Saussure."
"I am rebuked," he said. "You must excuse me - I had counted
upon the pleasure of seeing you enjoy it."
"One's enjoyment is not always heightened by giving it
expression," I said.
"No, I know that is your theory - or practice," he said. "My
sisters are always so vehement in their praises of anything
they like, that nobody else has a chance to know whether he
likes it or not. I generally incline to the not."