Sylvia's Lovers

When Coulson came back Philip went to his solitary dinner. In

general he was quite alone while eating it; but to-day Alice Rose

chose to bear him company. She watched him with cold severe eye for

some time, until he had appeased his languid appetite. Then she

began with the rebuke she had in store for him; a rebuke the motives

to which were not entirely revealed even to herself.

'Thou 're none so keen after thy food as common,' she began. 'Plain

victuals goes ill down after feastin'.' Philip felt the colour mount to his face; he was not in the mood for

patiently standing the brunt of the attack which he saw was coming,

and yet he had a reverent feeling for woman and for age. He wished

she would leave him alone; but he only said--'I had nought but a

slice o' cold beef for supper, if you'll call that feasting.' 'Neither do godly ways savour delicately after the pleasures of the

world,' continued she, unheeding his speech. 'Thou wert wont to seek

the house of the Lord, and I thought well on thee; but of late

thou'st changed, and fallen away, and I mun speak what is in my

heart towards thee.' 'Mother,' said Philip, impatiently (both he and Coulson called Alice

'mother' at times), 'I don't think I am fallen away, and any way I

cannot stay now to be--it's new year's Day, and t' shop is throng.' But Alice held up her hand. Her speech was ready, and she must

deliver it.

'Shop here, shop there. The flesh and the devil are gettin' hold on

yo', and yo' need more nor iver to seek t' ways o' grace. New year's

day comes and says, "Watch and pray," and yo' say, "Nay, I'll seek

feasts and market-places, and let times and seasons come and go

without heedin' into whose presence they're hastening me." Time was,

Philip, when thou'd niver ha' letten a merry-making keep thee fra'

t' watch-night, and t' company o' the godly.' 'I tell yo' it was no merry-making to me,' said Philip, with

sharpness, as he left the house.

Alice sat down on the nearest seat, and leant her head on her

wrinkled hand.

'He's tangled and snared,' said she; 'my heart has yearned after

him, and I esteemed him as one o' the elect. And more nor me yearns

after him. O Lord, I have but one child! O Lord, spare her! But o'er

and above a' I would like to pray for his soul, that Satan might not

have it, for he came to me but a little lad.' At that moment Philip, smitten by his conscience for his hard manner

of speech, came back; but Alice did not hear or see him till he was

close by her, and then he had to touch her to recall her attention.