Part 54 (2/2)
”How can you talk so upon the eve of death?” cried Leigh in protest
”Faith,” said Sir Oliver, ”it's considered the season of truth above all others”
”Then ye don't believe in God?”
”On the contrary, I do”
”But not in the real God?” the skipper insisted
”There can be no God but the real God--it matters little what men call Him”
”Then if ye believe, are ye not afraid?”
”Of what?”
”Of hell, da his own belated terrors
”I have but fulfilled the destiny which in His Omniscience He marked out for ned it, since naught may exist or happen save by His Will Shall I then fear da been as God fashi+oned h protested
”'Tis a co one,” said Sir Oliver, ”and it should coh refused to be coroaned miserably ”I would that I did not believe in God!”
”Your disbelief could no more abolish Him than can your fear create Hi what it is, were it not best you prayed?”
”Will not you pray with me?” quoth that rascal in his sudden fear of the hereafter
”I shall do better,” said Sir Oliver at last ”I shall pray for you--to Sir John Killigrew, that your life be spared”
”Sure he'll never heed you!” said Master Leigh with a catch in his breath
”He shall His honour is concerned in it The teralley should suffer any hurt”
”But I killed Master Lionel”
”True--but that was in the scried me his word, and Sir John will keep to it when I have reat burden was lifted froreat shadow of the fear of death that had overhung hireatly to be feared that his desperate penitence also departed At least he talked no ht for Sir Oliver's opinions and beliefs concerning the hereafter He htly have supposed that Sir Oliver's creed was Sir Oliver's affair, and that should it happen to be wrong he was scarcely himself a qualified person to correct it As for hi of his soul could wait until another day, when the necessity for it should be more imminent
Upon that he lay down and atteh the pain in his head proved a difficulty Finding sluain; but by that ti warned hi the silence
Now this surprised and shocked the skipper He was utterly at a loss to understand how one who had lived Sir Oliver's life, been a renegade and a heathen, should be able to sleep tranquilly in the knowledge that at dawn he was to hang His belated Christian zeal proe hi his peace with God Huested to him that he had best leave hi matters he was profoundly touched to reflect that in such a season Sir Oliver could have found room in his mind to think of him and his fate and to undertake to contrive that he should be saved froht him of the extent to which he had himself been responsible for all that happened to Sir Oliver Out of the consideration of heroisotten in hiht perhaps serve Sir Oliver by a frank confession of all that he knew of the influences that had gone to make Sir Oliver what he was This resolve uplifted hih it uplifted him all thehis own neck by the confession upon which he had deter his aching head, and enheartened by the first purpose he had ever conceived of a truly good and altruistic deed Yet fate it see that purpose of his For when at dawn they came to hale Sir Oliver to his dooh's demands that he, too, should be taken before Sir John
”Thee bean't included in our orders,” said a seaman shortly