fall that he had wished
there was no high purpose to which he owed an allegiance - that he had longed to
fly to some backwoods where there was no church to reproach him, and where he
might have this sweet woman to wife, and know the joys of tenderness. Those
sensibilities which in most lives are diffused equally through the youthful
years, were aroused suddenly in Mr Lyon, as some men have their special genius
revealed to them by a tardy concurrence of conditions. His love was the first
love of a fresh young heart full of wonder and worship. But what to one man is
the virtue which he has sunk below the possibility of aspiring to, is to another
the backsliding by which he forfeits his spiritual crown.
    The end was, that Annette remained in his house. He had striven against
himself so far as to represent her position to some chief matrons in his
congregations, praying and yet dreading that they would so take her by the hand
as to impose on him that denial of his own longing not to let her go out of his
sight, which he found it too hard to impose on himself. But they regarded the
case coldly: the woman was, after all, a vagrant. Mr Lyon was observed to be
surprisingly weak on the subject - his eagerness seemed disproportionate and
unbecoming; and this young Frenchwoman, unable to express herself very clearly,
was no more interesting to those matrons and their husbands than other pretty
young women suspiciously circumstanced. They were willing to subscribe something
to carry her on her way, or if she took some lodgings they would give her a
little sewing, and endeavour to convert her from papistry. If, however, she was
a respectable person, as she said, the only proper thing for her was to go back
to her own country and friends. In spite of himself, Mr Lyon exulted. There
seemed a reason now that he should keep Annette under his own eyes. He told
himself that no real object would be served by his providing food and lodging
for her elsewhere - an expense which he could ill afford. And she was apparently
so helpless, except as to the one task of attending to her baby, that it would
have been folly to think of her exerting herself for her own support.
    But this course of his was severely disapproved by his church. There were
various signs that the minister was under some evil influence: his preaching
wanted its old fervour, he seemed to shun the intercourse of his brethren, and
very mournful suspicions were entertained. A formal remonstrance was presented
to him, but he met it as if he