The Four Swans by Winston Graham Read Free Book Online Page A

which would contain fifty people seated and which now was nearing completion. Furthermore he had recently walked in to Truro and met the stewards and the leaders there, who had now conferred on him the official title of Class Leader and had promised to send out one of their best Travelling Preachers for the opening of the House in the spring.
    It was all wondrous in his sight.. That God had moved through him, that Christ had chosen him to act as his missioner in this small part of the land, was a source of constant wonderment and joy. But every night he prayed long on his knees that this privilege which had been awarded him should never lead him into the sin of pride. He was the humblest of all God’s creatures and would ever remain so,
    serving Him and praising Him in time and through all eternity.
    But perhaps some weakness and wickedness still moved in him and had not been rooted out, and this was why he had a cross to bear in the shape of a fallen younger brother.’
    Drake was not yet quite twenty, and, while never so ardent, had laid hold of the Blessing it an earlier age than Sam and had achieved a condition of real and true holiness of heart and life. The two brothers had lived together in that perfect unity which comes from the service of Jesus; until Drake had taken up with a Woman.
    Marriage with a suitable wife was a part of God’s holy ordinance, and not at all to be discouraged or despised; but unfortunately the girl Drake had become enraptured with came of a different class from his own, and although, being a clergyman’s daughter, she no doubt dutifully and sincerely worshipped God, her whole upbringing and, the authoritarian beliefs with which she had been instilled made her an unsuitable partner for a Cornish Methodist. They had been separated - not by Sam, who could not have controlled his brother had he so wished, but by the girl’s cousin, Mr Warleggan, and by her mother; and she had been married off very suitably to a rising young clergyman in Truro.
    It was certainly the best thing that could have happened for, all concerned, but Drake would not see it that way; he could not be so persuaded; and although all those around him were convinced that: this was a case of broken first love and that within a year he would’ have forgotten his infatuation and be as bright and cheerful as before it happened, there was no such improvement yet, and some months now gone.
    It was not that he went about letting everyone see his hurt; he worked well and ate well; the French musket ball in his shoulder had left no permanent impairment, he was quick as ever up a ladder or a tree. But Sam who knew him so well knew that inwardly he had quite changed. And he had almost left the Connexion. He scarcely ever came to the evening meetings, and often would not even go to church with them on Sundays, but would stride away across Hendrawna Beach and be gone for hours. He would not pray with Sam at nights and would not be reasoned with.
    `I know I’m in the fault,’ he said. `I d’know that full well. I know I’m yielding to unbelief, I know I’m not exercising faith in Jesus. I know I’ve lost the great salvation. But, brother, what I just lost on this earth seem to me more … All right, tis blasphemy as you d’say;
    but I cann’t change what’s in my very own heart.’
    `The things of this world
    `Yes, ye’ve telled me, and no’ doubt tis true, but it don’t change my heart. If Satan’ve got me, then he’ve got me, and he be too strong to fight. Leave me be, brother, you have other souls to save.’
    So Sam had let him be. For a few weeks Drake had lived with his sister and brother-in-law at Nampara, and Demelza had told him that he need not leave; but presently he had moved back into Reath Cottage with Sam. For the first time it was an uneasy relationship. Ross brought it to an end in the January of ‘96.
    Drake was still working on the rebuilding of the library, and, one day in early December he was summoned