"Five shillings to pay, if you please, miss!"Erica, who had been absorbed in the poem, looked up in dismay; then seeing who had spoken, she began to laugh.
"What a horrible fright you gave me, father! But do look at this, it's the loveliest thing in the world.I've just got to the 'very strong man Kwasind.' I think he's a little like you!"Raeburn, though no very great lover of poetry, took the book and read a few lines.
"Long they lived in peace together, Spake with naked hearts together, Pondering much and much contriving How the tribes of men might prosper.""Good! That will do very well for you and me, little one.I'm ready to be your Kwasind.What's the price of the thing? Four and sixpence! Too much for a luxury.It must wait till our ship comes in."He put down the book, and they moved on together, but had not gone many paces before they were stopped by a most miserable-looking beggar child.Brian standing now outside the shop, saw and heard all that passed.
Raeburn was evidently investigating the case, Erica, a little impatient of the interruption, was remonstrating.
"I thought you never gave to beggars, and I am sure that harrowing story is made up.""Very likely," replied the father, "but the hunger is real, and Iknow well enough what hunger is.What have you here?" he added, indicating the paper bag which Erica held.
"Scones," she said, unwillingly.
"That will do," he said, taking them from her and giving them to the child."He is too young to be anything but the victim of another's laziness.There! Sit down and eat them while you can."The child sat down on the doorstep with the bag of scones clasped in both hands, but he continued to gaze after his benefactor till he had passed out of sight, and there was a strange look of surprise and gratification in his eyes.That was a man who knew!
Many people had, after hard begging, thrown him pence, many had warned him off harshly, but this man had looked straight into his eyes, and had at once stopped and questioned him, had singled out the one true statement from a mass of lies, and had given him--not a stale loaf with the top cut off, a suspicious sort of charity which always angered the waif--but his own food, bought for his own consumption.Most wonderful of all, too, this man knew what it was to be hungry, and had even the insight and shrewdness to be aware that the waif's best chance of eating the scones at all was to eat them then and there.For the first time a feeling of reverence and admiration was kindled in the child's heart; he would have done a great deal for his unknown friend.
Raeburn and Erica had meanwhile walked on in the direction of Guilford Square.
"I had bought them for you," said Erica, reproachfully.
"And I ruthlessly gave them away," said Raeburn, smiling."That was hard lines; I though they were only household stock.But after all it comes to the same thing in the end, or better.You have given them to me by giving them to the child.Never mind, 'Little son Eric!'"This was his pet name for her, and it meant a great deal to them.
She was his only child, and it had at first been a great disappointment to every one that she was not a boy.But Raeburn had long ago ceased to regret this, and the nickname referred more to Erica's capability of being both son and daughter to him, able to help him in his work and at the same time to brighten his home.
Erica was very proud of her name, for she had been called after her father's greatest friend, Eric Haeberlein, a celebrated republican, who once during a long exile had taken refuge in London.His views were in some respects more extreme than Raeburn's, but in private life he was the gentlest and most fascinating of men, and had quite won the heart of his little namesake.
As Mrs.Raeburn had surmised, Erica's father had at once seen that something had gone wrong that day.The all-observing eyes, which had noticed the hungry look in the beggar child's face, noticed at once that his own child had been troubled.
"Something has vexed you," he said."What is the matter, Erica?""I had rather not tell you, father, it isn't anything much," said Erica, casting down her eyes as if all at once the paving stones had become absorbingly interesting.
"I fancy I know already," said Raeburn."It is about your friend at the High School, is it not.I thought so.This afternoon I had a letter from her father.""What does he say? May I see it?" asked Erica.
"I tore it up," said Raeburn, "I thought you would ask to see it, and the thing was really so abominably insolent that I didn't want you to.How did you hear about it?""Gertrude wrote me a note," said Erica.
"At her father's dictation, no doubt," said Raeburn; "I should know his style directly, let me see it.""I thought it was a pity to vex you, so I burned it," said Erica.
Then, unable to help being amused at their efforts to save each other, they both laughed, though the subject was rather a sore one.
"It is the old story," said Raeburn."Life only, as Pope Innocent III benevolently remarked, 'is to be left to the children of misbelievers, and that only as an act of mercy.' You must make up your mind to bear the social stigma, child.Do you see the moral of this?""No," said Erica, with something between a smile and a sigh.
"The moral of it is that you must be content with your own people,"said Raeburn."There is this one good point about persecution--it does draw us all nearer together, really strengthens us in a hundred ways.So, little one, you must forswear school friends, and be content with your 'very strong man Kwasind,' and we will "'Live in peace together Speak with naked hearts together.'
By the bye, it is rather doubtful if Tom will be able to come to the lecture tonight; do you think you can take notes for me instead?"This was in reality the most delicate piece of tact and consideration, for it was, of course, Erica's delight and pride to help her father.
