Nobody

Yet it is not too easy to tell why, at least so as to make the readerget at the sense of the words. I have the girl's image before my eyes, mentally, but words have neither form nor colour; how shall I paintwith them? It was not the beauty of mere form and colour, either, thatstruck Mrs. Barclay in Lois's face. You may easily see more regularfeatures and more dazzling complexion. It was not any particularbrilliance of eye, or piquancy of expression. There was a soundness andfulness of young life; that is not so uncommon either. There was asteadfast strength and sweetness of nature. There was an unconscious, innocent grace, that is exceedingly rare. And a high, noble expressionof countenance and air and movement, such as can belong only to onewhose thoughts and aims never descend to pettinesses; who assimilatesnobility by being always concerned with what is noble. And then, theface was very fair; the ruddy brown hair very rich and abundant; thefigure graceful and good; all the spiritual beauty I have beenendeavouring to describe had a favouring groundwork of nature todisplay itself upon. Mrs. Barclay's steps grew slower and slower as shecame near, that she might prolong the view, which to her was so lovely.Then Lois looked at her and slightly smiled.

"Lois, my dear, what are you doing?"

"Not exactly nothing, Mrs. Barclay; though it looks like it. Such a dayone cannot bear to go in-doors!"

"You are gathering your apples?"

"I have got done for to-day."

"What are you studying, here beside your baskets? What beautifulapples!"

"Aren't they? These are our Royal Reddings; they are good for eatingand cooking, and they keep perfectly. If only they are picked off byhand."

"What were you studying, Lois? May I not know?" Mrs. Barclay took anapple and a seat on the turf beside the girl.

"Hardly studying. Only musing – as such a day makes one muse. I wasthinking, Mrs. Barclay, what use I could make of my life."

"What use? Can you make better use of it than you are doing, intaking care of Mrs. Armadale?"

"Yes – as things are now. But in the common course of things I shouldoutlive grandmamma."

"Then you will marry somebody, and take care of him."

"Very unlikely, I think."

"May I ask, why?"

"I do not know anybody that is the sort of man I could marry."

"What do you require?" asked Mrs. Barclay.

"A great deal, I suppose," said Lois slowly. "I have never studiedthat; I was not studying it just now. But I was thinking, what might bethe best way of making myself of some use in the world. Foolish, too."

"Why so?"

"It is no use for us to lay plans for our lives; not much use for us tolay plans for anything. They are pretty sure to be broken up."

"Yes," said Mrs. Barclay, sighing. "I wonder why!"

"I suppose, because they do not fall in with God's plans for us."

"His plans for us," repeated Mrs. Barclay slowly. "Do you believe insuch things? That would mean, individual plans, Lois; for youindividually, and for me?"

"Yes, Mrs. Barclay – that is what I believe."

"It is incomprehensible to me."

"Why should it be?"

"To think that the Highest should concern him self with such smalldetails."

"It is just because he is the Highest, and so high, that he can.

Besides – do we know what are small details?"

"But why should he care what becomes of us?" said Mrs. Barclay gloomily.

"O, do you ask that? When he is Love itself, and would have the verybest things for each one of us?"

"We don't have them, I am sure."

"Because we will not, then. To have them, we must fall in with hisplans."

"My dear Lois, do you know that you are talking the profoundestmysteries?"

"No. They are not mysteries to me. The Bible says all I have beensaying."

"That is sufficient for you, and you do not stop to look into themystery. Lois, it is all mystery. Look at all the wretched ruinedlives one sees; what becomes of those plans for good for them?"

"Failed, Mrs. Barclay; because of the people's unwillingness to comeinto the plans."

"They do not know them!"

"No, but they do know the steps which lead into them, and those stepsthey refuse to take."

"I do not understand you. What steps?"

"The Lord does not show us his plans. He shows us, one by one, thesteps he bids us take. If we take them, one by one, they will bring usinto all that God has purposed and meant for us – the very best thatcould come to us."

"And you think his plans and purposes could be overthrown?"

"Why, certainly. Else what mean Christ's lamentations over Jerusalem?'O Jerusalem… how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not.' Iwould – ye would not; and the choice lies with us."

"And suppose a person falls in with these plans, as you say, step bystep?"

"O, then it is all good," said Lois; "the way and the end; all good.

There is no mistake nor misadventure."

"Nor disaster?"

"Not what turns out to be such."

"Lois," said Mrs. Barclay, after a thoughtful pause, "you are a veryhappy person!"

"Yes," said Lois, smiling; "and I have just told you the reason. Don'tyou see? I have no care about anything."

"On your principles, I do not see what need you had to consider yourfuture way of life; to speculate about it, I mean."