第52部分(第1/7 页)

There　was　Sin；　the　serpent；　in　whom　was　also　wisdom。　There

was　Judas　with　the　money　and　the　kiss。

But　there　was　no　actual　Sin。　If　Ursula　slapped　Theresa

across　the　face；　even　on　a　Sunday；　that　was　not　Sin；　the

everlasting。　It　was　misbehaviour。　If　Billy　played　truant　from

Sunday　school；　he　was　bad；　he　was　wicked；　but　he　was　not　a

Sinner。

Sin　was　absolute　and　everlasting：　wickedness　and　badness　were

temporary　and　relative。　When　Billy；　catching　up　the　local

jargon；　called　Cassie　a　〃sinner〃；　everybody　detested　him。　Yet

when　there　came　to　the　Marsh　a　flippetty…floppetty　foxhound

puppy；　he　was　mischievously　christened　〃Sinner〃。

The　Brangwens　shrank　from　applying　their　religion　to　their

own　immediate　actions。　They　wanted　the　sense　of　the　eternal　and

immortal；　not　a　list　of　rules　for　everyday　conduct。　Therefore

they　were　badly…behaved　children；　headstrong　and　arrogant；

though　their　feelings　were　generous。　They　had；

moreover……intolerable　to　their　ordinary　neighbours……a

proud　gesture；　that　did　not　fit　with　the　jealous　idea　of　the

democratic　Christian。　So　that　they　were　always　extraordinary；

outside　of　the　ordinary。

How　bitterly　Ursula　resented　her　first　acquaintance　with

evangelical　teachings。　She　got　a　peculiar　thrill　from　the

application　of　salvation　to　her　own　personal　case。　〃Jesus　died

for　me；　He　suffered　for　me。〃　There　was　a　pride　and　a　thrill　in

it；　followed　almost　immediately　by　a　sense　of　dreariness。　Jesus

with　holes　in　His　hands　and　feet：　it　was　distasteful　to　her。　The

shadowy　Jesus　with　the　Stigmata：　that　was　her　own　vision。　But

Jesus　the　actual　man；　talking　with　teeth　and