She
could not but trust him, and her hope grew great that perhaps for
her he held the key of the kingdom of heaven. She saw that if what
this man said was true, then the gospel was represented by men who
knew nothing of its real nature, and by such she bad been led into
a false judgment of it.
"If such a man," said the schoolmaster in conclusion, "would but
once represent to himself that the man whom he regards as beneath
him, may nevertheless be immeasurably above him--and that after
no arbitrary judgment, but according to the absolute facts of
creation, the scale of the kingdom of God, in which being is rank;
if he could persuade himself of the possibility that he may yet
have to worship before the feet of those on whom he looks down as
on the creatures of another and meaner order of creation, would it
not sting him to rise, and, lest this should be one of such, make
offer of his chair to the poor man in the vile raiment? Would he
ever more, all his life long, dare to say, 'Stand thou there, or
sit here under my footstool?'"
During the week that followed, Clementina reflected with growing
delight on what she had heard, and looked forward to hearing more
of a kind correspondent on the approaching Sunday. Nor did the shock
of the disappearance of Florimel with Malcolm abate her desire to
be taught by Malcolm's friend.
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