From 'The Little Minister': by permission of the American Publishers'
Corporation
A young man thinks that he alone of mortals is impervious to love, and
so the discovery that he is in it suddenly alters his views of his own
mechanism. It is thus not unlike a rap on the funny-bone. Did Gavin make
this discovery when the Egyptian left him? Apparently he only came to
the brink of it and stood blind. He had driven her from him for ever,
and his sense of loss was so acute that his soul cried out for the cure
rather than for the name of the malady.
In time he would have realized what had happened, but time was denied
him, for just as he was starting for the mudhouse Babbie saved his
dignity by returning to him.... She looked up surprised, or seemingly
surprised, to find him still there.
"I thought you had gone away long ago," she said stiffly.
"Otherwise," asked Gavin the dejected, "you would not have came back to
the well?"
"Certainly not."
"I am very sorry. Had you waited another moment I should have been
gone."
This was said in apology, but the willful Egyptian chose to change its
meaning.
"You have no right to blame me for disturbing you," she declared with
warmth.
"I did not. I only--"
"You could have been a mile away by this time. Nanny wanted more water."
Babbie scrutinized the minister sharply as she made this statement.
Surely her conscience troubled her, for on his not answering immediately
she said, "Do you presume to disbelieve me? What could have made me
return except to fill the pans again?"
"Nothing," Gavin admitted eagerly, "and I assure you---"
Babbie should have been grateful to his denseness, but it merely set her
mind at rest.
"Say anything against me you choose," she told him. "Say it as brutally
as you like, for I won't listen."
She stopped to hear his response to that, and she looked so cold that it
almost froze on Gavin's lips.
"I had no right," he said dolefully, "to speak to you as I did."
"You had not," answered the proud Egyptian. She was looking away from
him to show that his repentance was not even interesting to her.
However, she had forgotten already not to listen....
She was very near him, and the tears had not yet dried on her eyes. They
were laughing eyes, eyes in distress, imploring eyes. Her pale face,
smiling, sad, dimpled yet entreating forgiveness, was the one prominent
thing in the world to him just then. He wanted to kiss her. He would do
it as soon as her eyes rested on his, but she continued without
regarding him.
"How mean that sounds! Oh, if I were a man I would wish to be everything
that I am not, and nothing that I am. I would scorn to be a liar, I
would choose to be open in all things, I would try to fight the world
honestly. But I am only a woman, and so--well, that is the kind of man I
would like to marry."
"A minister may be all these things," said Gavin breathlessly.
"The man I could love," Babbie went on, not heeding him, almost
forgetting that he was there, "must not spend his days in idleness as
the men I know do."
"I do not."
"He must be brave, no mere worker among others, but a leader of men."
"All ministers are."
"Who makes his influence felt."
"Assuredly."
"And takes the side of the weak against the strong, even though the
strong be in the right."
"Always my tendency."
"A man who has a mind of his own, and having once made it up stands to
it in defiance even of--"
"Of his session."
"Of the world. He must understand me."
"I do."
"And be my master."
"It is his lawful position in the house."
"He must not yield to my coaxing or tempers."
"It would be weakness."
"But compel me to do his bidding; yes, even thrash me if-"
"If you won't listen to reason. Babbie," cried Gavin, "I am that man!"
Here the inventory abruptly ended, and these two people found themselves
staring at each other, as if of a sudden they had heard something
dreadful. I do not know how long they stood thus motionless and
horrified. I cannot tell even which stirred first. All I know is that
almost simultaneously they turned from each other and hurried out of the
wood in opposite directions.