Then she must learn to row and to ride, with Richard Everidge for her teacher. Belle taught her to swim, and Russell to play tennis, and Gwendolyn took her to some of the many meetings to which she devoted her life.
And then there was Tryphosa. She always made time for a visit there at least once every week. She was hungry to hear all she could about her mother. She began to understand how Richard Everidge, in the pride of his manly beauty, could find it in his heart to envy the woman who day and night kept close company with pain. Sometimes the shadows would lie purple under the brilliant eyes, and the thin fingers be tightly clenched in anguish, but the brave lips gave no sign. On such days Pauline could only sit beside her in mute sorrow, or sing softly some of the hymns she loved.
'It is terrible to see you suffer so, my lady!' she cried, one morning, when, in the fulness of her strength, she had gone from the laughing sunshine into the shadowed room, where every ray of light fell like a blow upon the invalid's quivering nerves.
'Not one stroke too much, dear child. It is my Father's hand upon the _tribulum_. He never makes mistakes.'
One day she slipped away directly after breakfast. She wanted to be sure of finding her alone.
It was one of the invalid's good days, and she greeted her with a bright smile of welcome.
'My lady,' she began abruptly, 'do you think I have forgotten all about my promise? I could not. It has haunted me through everything, and--I gave myself to the King last night.'
Tryphosa's eyes glowed deep with pleasure.
'Thank God!' she exclaimed softly. Then she closed her eyes, and Pauline knew from her moving lips that she was talking with the Lord.
'I had to talk a little about the good news with Jesus. He is my nearest neighbour, you know. And now, dear child, tell me all about it. What a wonderfully simple thing it is! People talk so much about being a Christian, when, after all, it is simply to be Christ's. We open the door where He has knocked so long, and let Him in. We give ourselves away to Jesus henceforth to live in Him, with Him, by Him, and for Him for ever. Dear child, when you were giving, did you include your will?'
'Why surely. The Christian is not to direct his Master.'