"
For the last few hours, ever since a messenger had met him, half way on
the Applegate road, with the news of Jonathan's death, he had laboured
philosophically to reconcile such a tragedy with his preconceived belief
that he inhabited the best of all possible worlds. Only when suffering
obtruded brutally into his immediate surroundings, was it necessary
for him to set about resolving the problem of existence--for, like most
hereditary optimists, he did not borrow trouble from his neighbours. A
famine or an earthquake at a little distance appeared to him a puerile
obstacle to put forward against his belief in the perfection of the
planetary scheme; but when his eyes rested upon the martyred saintliness
of Mrs. Gay's expression, he was conscious that his optimism tottered
for an instant, and was almost overthrown. That a just and tender Deity
should inflict pain upon so lovely a being was incomprehensible to his
chivalrous spirit.
"Has any one told her about Blossom?" asked Molly.
Kesiah shook her head. "Mr. Chamberlayne feels that it would be cruel.
She knows so little about Jonathan's affairs that we may be able to keep
his marriage from her knowledge if she leaves Jordan's Journey a few
days after the funeral.
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