“I never stop thinking of Rod; he is ceaselessly before my eyes; I breathe him, not air. Do you mean to say that anyone ever feels like that to God, to God, Whom you do not see, Who is—well, far off, not part of us, just—Oh, how shall I say it? Just God, heard about in church, not very well known?”
“Who is ‘just God.’ You said it well, poor Cis. Who is our Beginning, our End, in Whom ‘we live, and move and have our being’; Saint Paul answered you before you asked your question. I mean that He is loved in that way by many, and that unless you share in that love to a degree, all other love will fail you, and life be wretched in its course and in its end,” said Miss Gallatin solemnly.
Cis stared at her for another instant, then she turned to go.
“I never once thought that piety meant that,” she said. “Yet of course God is what you say. It’s quite nice; I never thought I liked piety much. Perhaps if you hang on tight when you don’t get it, God lets you get it later on. But you must hang on awfully tight when you don’t feel like hanging, I suppose! Well, I certainly don’t get it now! Thanks, Miss Gallatin. And thanks for the dinner and nice evening.”
On the way to Mrs. Wallace’s Rodney broke a long silence by saying:
“That man was interested in you, Holly; he sat up and took notice when you spoke.”
“Did he? Who did?” asked Cis, emerging from her thoughts.
“Who did! How many did you meet? I’d think you were playing off, Cis, if you ever played tricks, off or on! That Lancaster stained-glass ecclesiastical piece, to be sure!” retorted Rodney. “Gracious, what a fool a man makes of himself—woman, either!—when he or she get going on religion! Thank the gods, we are free from humbug! Say, Cis, how much do you love me?” Rodney sought her hand to punctuate his question.
“Kids say: ‘More’n tongue can tell!’ I suspect that’s the answer, Rory O’Moore!” said Cis.
“I want you to prove it, my treasure!” said Rod. “I’ve been thinking of it for some time. I saw when you were talking to-night of that franchise that the matter was already decided, that you knew which way it was going. Cis, I’d never ask you to betray that code of your firm’s; I’d never ask you to do a thing that was wrong, but I more than ask, I beg of you, give me a hint, tell me whether the franchise is going through or not. Cis, listen before you answer! I’ll never, I swear to you, let another person have a hint of what I know, nor will anyone ever guess I’ve had inside information. I’ve a little money, a few thousands; that stock can be bought for, say .33, brokers’ commissions and all told. It will sell for 200 within a year, if it goes at all. Tell me only this: Shall I take the stock to the limit of my capital, or is it hands off? See? I don’t ask for a word directly on the franchise, but shall I buy or let it alone? Tell me, Cis; it’s for us both, you know.”