It is in the
completeness of his daily life that the true Christian appears. This
dear man was very complete.
"Go to Miss Verinder," said my aunt, addressing the servant, "and tell
her Mr. Ablewhite is here."
We both inquired after his health. We both asked him together whether he
felt like himself again, after his terrible adventure of the past week.
With perfect tact, he contrived to answer us at the same moment. Lady
Verinder had his reply in words. I had his charming smile.
"What," he cried, with infinite tenderness, "have I done to deserve
all this sympathy? My dear aunt! my dear Miss Clack! I have merely been
mistaken for somebody else. I have only been blindfolded; I have only
been strangled; I have only been thrown flat on my back, on a very thin
carpet, covering a particularly hard floor. Just think how much worse it
might have been! I might have been murdered; I might have been robbed.
What have I lost? Nothing but Nervous Force--which the law doesn't
recognise as property; so that, strictly speaking, I have lost nothing
at all. If I could have had my own way, I would have kept my adventure
to myself--I shrink from all this fuss and publicity.
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