第17部分(第3/7 頁)

　all　what　you　done　right　down　there　withit。　And　you　going　to　answer　for　it；　too。’

‘I　done　answered；’　he　said；　‘already　before　my　God。　I　ain’t　got　to　answer　now；　in　front　ofyou。’

She　opened　her　handbag；　and　took　out　the　letter。

‘I　been　carrying　this　letter　now；’　she　said；　‘for　more　than　thirty　years。　And　I　beenwondering　all　that　time　if　I’d　ever　talk　to　you　about　it。’

And　she　looked　at　him。　He　was　looking；　unwillingly；　at　the　letter；　which　she　held　tightly　inone　hand。　It　was　old；　and　dirty；　and　brown；　and　torn；　he　recognized　Deborah’s　uncertain；　tremblinghand；　and　he　could　see　her　again　in　the　cabin；　bending　over　the　table；　laboriously　trusting　to　paperthe　bitterness　she　had　not　spoken。　It　had　lived　in　her　silence；　then；　all　those　years？　He　could　notbelieve　it。　She　had　been　praying　for　him　as　she　died—she　had　sworn　to　meet　him　in　glory。　Andyet；　this　letter；　her　witness；　spoke；　breaking　her　long　silence；　now　that　she　was　beyond　his　reach　forever。

‘Yes；’　said　Florence；　watching　his　face；　‘you　didn’t　give　her　no　bed　of　roses　to　sleep　on；　didyou？—poor；　simple；　ugly；　black　girl。　And　you　didn’t　treat　that　other　one　no　better。　Who　is　youmet；　Gabriel；　all　your　holy　life　long；　you　ain’t　made　to　drink　a　cup　of　sorrow？　And　you　doing　itstill—you　going　to　be　doing　it　till　the　Lord　puts　you　in　you　grave。’

‘God’s　way；’　he　said；　and　his　speech　was　thick；　his　face　was　slick　with　sweat；　‘ain’t　man’sway。　I　been　doing　the　will　of　the　Lord；　and　can’t　nobody　sit　in　judgment　on　me　but　the　Lord。　TheLord　called　me　out；　He　chose　me；　and　I　been　running　with　Him　ever　since　I　made　a　start。　You　can’tkeep　your　eyes　on　all　this　foolishness　here　below；　all　this　wickedness　here　below—you　got　to　liftup　your　eyes　to　the　hills　and　run　from　the　destruction　falling　on