"It"s all very well for you to talk like that, but what am I to do?
You tell me with one breath that if something isn"t done people will die, and with another that because I try to get something done I merit a snubbing."
"Exactly. This isn"t a public inst.i.tution; the girl has a right to resent your treating it as if it were. These people oughtn"t to be here at all. Those who are responsible for some of them ought to be made to stand their trial for murder. This person, whoever he is, has promised nothing. They have not the slightest claim upon him. They are here as a pure speculation. Your men are to blame for allowing them to a.s.semble in such a fashion, not the girl who endeavours to protect her guest from intrusion."
Someone called out from the crowd:
"Ain"t he coming, sir? I"m fair finished, I am--been here six hours.
I"m clean done up."
"What right have you to be there at all? You ought to be at home in bed."
"I"ve come to be healed."
"Come to be healed! I suppose if you want a hatful of money, you think you"ve only got to ask for it. You"ve no right to be here."
Murmurs arose--cries, prayers, stifled execrations. An inspector said to his chief:
"If something isn"t done, sir, I fancy there"ll be trouble. Our men have difficulty in keeping order as it is. Half London must be here, and they"re coming faster than ever. There"s an ugly spirit about, and some ugly customers. If it becomes known that nothing is going to be done for these poor wretches, I don"t know what will happen. How we are going to get them safely away is more than I can guess."
"You hear what Sir William Braidwood says."
"Begging Sir William"s pardon, it"s a choice of evils, and if I were you, sir, I should try again. They can"t refuse to let you see this person. Not that I suppose he can do what they think he can, but still there you are."
"He can do it."
"With a word?"
"With a word."
"Then he ought to."
"Why? I can give you a thousand pounds with a word. But why ought I to?"
"That"s different."
"You"ll find that a large number of people don"t think it"s different. These people want the gift of health; others in the crowd there want the gift of wealth. I dare wager there"s no form of want which is not represented in that eager, greedy, l.u.s.tful mult.i.tude.
The excuse is common to them all: he can give it with a word. I am of your opinion, there will be trouble; because so many persons misunderstand the situation."
Colonel Hardinge arrived at a decision:
"I think I will have another try. We can"t have these people here all day, so if he won"t have anything to do with them, the sooner they are cleared out of this, the better. What I have to do is to find out how it"s going to be."
He knocked again. This time the door was opened by Mr. Kinloch, who at once broke into voluble speech.
"It was you who came just now; what do you mean by coming again?
What"s the meaning of these outrageous proceedings? Can"t I have a guest in my house without being subjected to this abominable nuisance?"
"I grant the nuisance, but would point out to you, sir, that we are the victims of it as well as you. If you will permit me to see your guest I will explain to him the position in a very few words. On his answer will depend our action."
"My guest desires to be private; I must insist upon his privacy being respected. My daughter has been speaking to him. She tells me that he says that he has nothing to do with these people, and that they have nothing to do with him."
"If that is the case, and that is really what he says, and I am to take it for an answer, then the matter is at an end."
Ada"s voice was heard at the back.
"Father, the Lord is coming."
The Stranger came to the door. In a moment the Colonel"s hat was in his hand.
"I beg a thousand pardons, sir, for what I cannot but feel is an intrusion; but the fact is, these foolish people have got it into their heads that they have only to ask you, and you will restore them to health. Am I to understand, and to give them to understand, that in so thinking they are under an entire delusion?"
"I will speak to them."
The Stranger stood upon the doorstep. When they saw Him they began to press against each other, crying:
"Heal us! Heal us!"
"Why should I heal you?"
There was a momentary silence. Then someone said:
"Because you healed those others."
"What they have you desire. It is so with you always. You cry to Me continually, Give! give! What is it you have given Me?"
The same voice replied:
"We have nothing to give."
"You come to Me with a lie upon your lips."
The fellow threw up his arms, crying:
"Lord! Lord! have mercy on me, Lord!"
He answered:
"Those among you that have given Me aught, though it is never so little, they shall be healed." No one spoke or moved. "Behold how many are the cheerful givers! I come not to give, but to receive. I seek My own, and find it not. All men desire something, offering nothing. This great city, knowing Me not, asks Me continually for what I have to give. Though I gave all it craves, it would be still farther off from heaven. It prizes not that which it has, but covets that which is another"s, hating it because it is his. Return whence you came; cleanse your bodies; purify your hearts; think not always of yourselves; lift up your eyes; seek continually the knowledge of G.o.d. When you know Him but a thousandth part as He knows you, you need ask Him nothing, for He will give you all that you desire."
With that He returned into the house.
When they saw Him go an outcry at once arose.
"Is that all? Only talk? Why, any parson could pitch a better yarn than that! Isn"t He going to do anything? Isn"t He going to heal us?
What, not after healing those people yesterday at Maida Vale, and after our coming all this way and waiting all this time?"
The rougher sort who could use their limbs began to press forward towards the house, forcing down those who were weaker, many of whom filled the air with their cries and groans and curses. The police did their best to stem the confusion.
There came along the avenue on the pavement which the police had kept open Henry Walters and certain of his friends. They were escorted by a sergeant, who saluted Colonel Hardinge.