“Then be careful thou commit it not.”
“But you do not worship such things?”
“Dear child, I find too much in Christ and in this perishing world, to have much time to think of them.”
Beatrice was only half satisfied. She would have felt more contented had Bruno warmly disclaimed the charge. It was at the cost of some distress that she realised that what were serious essentials to her were comparatively trivial matters to him. The wafts of polluted air were only too patent to her, which were lost in the purer atmosphere, at the altitude where Bruno stood.
The girls were gathered together one afternoon in the ante-chamber of Margaret’s apartments, and Bruno, who had come up to speak to his daughter, was with them. Except in special cases, no chamber of any house was sacred from a priest. Eva was busy spinning, but it would be more accurate to say that Marie, who was supposed to be spinning also, was engaged in breaking threads. Margaret was employed on tapestry-work; Doucebelle in plain sewing; and Beatrice with her delicate embroidery.
“Father,” said Beatrice, looking up suddenly, “I was taught that it was sin to make images of created things, on account of the words of the second commandment. What do you say?”
“‘Non fades tibi sculptile, neque omnem similitudinem,’” murmured Bruno, reflectively. “I think, my child, that it depends very much on the meaning of ‘tibi’ Ah, I see in thy face thou hast learned no Latin. ‘Thou shalt not make to thee any sculptured image.’ Then a sculptured image may be made otherwise. The latter half of the commandment, I think, shows what is meant. ‘Non adorabis ea, neque coles’—‘thou shalt not worship them.’ At the same time, Saint Paul saith, ‘Omne autem, quod non est ex fide, peccatum est’—‘all that is not of faith is sin;’ and ‘nisi ei qui existimat quid commune esse, illi commune est’: namely, ‘to him who esteemeth a thing unclean, to him it is unclean.’ If thou really believest it sin, by no means allow thyself to do it.”
“But, Father, suppose we cannot be sure?” said Doucebelle.
“Thou needst not fear that thou wilt ever walk too close to Christ, daughter,” quietly answered Bruno.
“But, Father I are we bound to give up all that can possibly be sin, or even can become sin?” asked Eva, in a tone which decidedly indicated dissent.