For Faith, if no more
than a "worm with diamond eyes" yet has eyes of diamonds, and rainbows are
the arches of her shape. Faith is fair and a very heart-companion to those
who know her and love her courts; and Joan, of all others, was best endowed
by disposition and instinct for the possession of her. Faith had slept in
the girl's heart since her mother died; but, sleeping, had grown, and now
waited in all strength to be called to a great task. The void was at its
deepest just now; the lowest note of Joan's soul had sounded; the facts of
her ruin and desertion were fully accepted at last; and such knowledge
served even to turn the growing mother in her sour for a time. Maternal
instinct stood still just a little while at this point in the girl's inner
life; then, when all things whirled away to chaos; on this night, when
nothing remained sure for her but death; in her hour of ultimate,
unutterable weakness and at the dawn of a blank despair, came one last plea
from Uncle Chirgwin. Mary had given up talking, fairly wearied out and
convinced that to waste more words on Joan would be a culpable disposal of
time; but Mr. Chirgwin blundered doggedly on with the humility of a worm
and the obstinacy of a friendly dog. He hammered at the portals of Joan's
spiritual being with admirable pertinacity; and at length he had his
reward. Faith in something being an absolute and vital essential to the
welfare of every woman, Joan Tregenza was no exception to the rule.
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