“Depend upon it, though, that we shall before long receive the visit he promises from his Superior, who may manage by some means or other to find out the truth,” I remarked.
Though Uncle Paul made light of the matter, too, I saw that he was not altogether comfortable about it.
As soon as we arrived, I told my father and mother and Marian, that they might be prepared.
“We must not be entrapped by him,” said my father; “and I will show my zeal by offering to assist in building a chapel in the neighbourhood.”
“I will not deny the truth,” said my mother, with tears in her eyes.
“Nor will I,” exclaimed Marian.
My father looked annoyed. “You must try then and keep out of the way of the man,” he said. “I will manage him, should he come.”
I afterwards had a conversation with my young sister.
“It will be cowardly and disgraceful to deny our faith,” she said. “Let me entreat you, Guy, not to do so, whatever may be the consequences. Our father is still unhappily blinded by the hope of securing worldly advantages, or he would not think of acting as he proposes. He may thus secure his own safety, and perhaps, for his sake, the inquisitors may not interfere with us; but if they do, let us pray that we may be firm. It is very, very, very sad, and will break our poor mother’s heart, for she already feels dreadfully the position in which we are placed. Oh, what shall we do?”
“Trust in God,” said Arthur, who just then came into the room, and had overheard Marian’s last remark. “My uncle is undoubtedly wrong, and had I known before we left home the state of affairs in this island, and what we were to encounter, I would have implored him not to come to Trinidad; however, as we are here, we must seek for guidance how to act should we, as I fear we shall, be questioned as to our religious belief.”