Individually he had never been tested, and
when the test came he fell. It will give us a large measure of true
wisdom if we stop sometimes when we have resisted a temptation and ask
ourselves why, at that moment, we did right and not wrong. Was it the
deep virtue, the high ideals in our souls, or was it the compulsion of
the Society around us? And I think most of us will be astonished to
discover what fragile persons we really are--in ourselves.
I stopped for several minutes at the kitchen door before I dared to go
in. Then I stamped vigorously on the boards, as if I had come rushing up
to the house without a doubt in my mind--I even whistled--and opened the
door jauntily. And had my pains for nothing!
The kitchen was empty, but full of comforting and homelike odours. There
was undoubtedly hot mush in the kettle. A few minutes later Harriet came
down the stairs. She held up one finger warningly. Her face was
transfigured.
"David," she whispered, "the baby's asleep."
So I tiptoed across the room. She tiptoed after me. Then I faced about,
and we both stood there on our tiptoes, holding our breath--at least I
held mine.
"David," Harriet whispered, "did you see the baby?"
"No," I whispered.
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