The effect of it all upon Gibbie was to send him to his room to his prayers, more eager than ever to keep the commandments of him who had said, If ye love me.Comforted then and strengthened, he came down to go to Donal--not to tell him, for to none but Janet could he have made such a communication.But in the middle of his descent he remembered suddenly of what and whom Mr.Sclater had all along been reminding him, and turned aside to Mrs.Sclater to ask her to lend him the Pilgrim's Progress.This, as a matter almost of course, was one of the few books in the cottage on Glashgar--a book beloved of Janet's soul--and he had read it again and again.Mrs.Sclater told him where in her room to find a copy, and presently he had satisfied himself that it was indeed Mr.Worldly Wiseman whom his imagination had, in cloudy fashion, been placing side by side with the talking minister.
Finding his return delayed, Mrs.Sclater went after him, fearing he might be indulging his curiosity amongst her personal possessions.
Peeping in, she saw him seated on the floor beside her little bookcase, lost in reading: she stole behind, and found that what so absorbed him was the conversation between Christian and Worldly--Ibeg his pardon, he is nothing without his Mr.--between Christian and Mr.Worldly Wiseman.
In the evening, when her husband was telling her what he had said to "the young Pharisee" in the morning, the picture of Gibbie on the floor, with the Pilgrim's Progress and Mr.Worldly Wiseman, flashed back on her mind, and she told him the thing.It stung him, not that Gibbie should perhaps have so paralleled him, but that his wife should so interpret Gibbie.To her, however, he said nothing.Had he been a better man, he would have been convinced by the lesson; as it was, he was only convicted, and instead of repenting was offended grievously.For several days he kept expecting the religious gadfly to come buzzing about him with his sting, that is, his forefinger, stuck in the Pilgrim's Progress, and had a swashing blow ready for him; but Gibbie was beginning to learn a lesson or two, and if he was not yet so wise as some serpents, he had always been more harmless than some doves.
That he had gained nothing for the world was pretty evident to the minister the following Sunday--from the lofty watchtower of the pulpit where he sat throned, while the first psalm was being sung.
His own pew was near one of the side doors, and at that door some who were late kept coming in.Amongst them were a stranger or two, who were at once shown to seats.Before the psalm ended, an old man came in and stood by the door--a poor man in mean garments, with the air of a beggar who had contrived to give himself a Sunday look.
Perhaps he had come hoping to find it warmer in church than at home.There he stood, motionless as the leech-gatherer, leaning on his stick, disregarded of men--it may have been only by innocent accident, I do not know.But just ere the minister must rise for the first prayer, he saw Gibbie, who had heard a feeble cough, cast a glance round, rise as swiftly as noiselessly, open the door of the pew, get out into the passage, take the old man by the hand, and lead him to his place beside the satin-robed and sable-muffed ministerial consort.Obedient to Gibbie's will, the old man took the seat, with an air both of humility and respect, while happily for Mrs.Sclater's remnant of ruffled composure, there was plenty of room in the pew, so that she could move higher up.The old man, it is true, followed, to make a place for Gibbie, but there was still an interval between them sufficient to afford space to the hope that none of the evils she dreaded would fall upon her to devour her.
Flushed, angry, uncomfortable, notwithstanding, her face glowed like a bale-fire to the eyes of her husband, and, I fear, spoiled the prayer--but that did not matter much.
While the two thus involuntarily signalled each other, the boy who had brought discomposure into both pulpit and pew, sat peaceful as a summer morning, with the old man beside him quiet in the reverence of being himself revered.And the minister, while he preached from the words, Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall, for the first time in his life began to feel doubtful whether he might not himself be a humbug.There was not much fear of his falling, however, for he had not yet stood on his feet.
Not a word was said to Gibbie concerning the liberty he had taken:
the minister and his wife were in too much dread--not of St.James and the "poor man in vile raiment," for they were harmless enough in themselves, but of Gibbie's pointing finger to back them.Three distinct precautions, however, they took; the pew-opener on that side was spoken to; Mrs.Sclater made Gibbie henceforth go into the pew before her; and she removed the New Testament from the drawing-room.
