Crispin Ken, Vol. 2

Excerpt from Crispin Ken

Crispin had quite made up his mind that from that day what was called the in?uence of this man, Ruy Lyle, would never again be anything at all to him; and Crispin, as he turned restlessly in his bed, thought very ill of himself for giving any of his faith to anything that Mr. Lyle, perhaps so carelessly, had said. He had heard Mona say, more times than one, that she could Often hear the step of Mr. Lyle when Mr. Lyle was not within many miles. He had heard her say, whilst she seemed to fear to look round when she said it, that she had seen his face when it was very clear that he was nowhere within sight at all. He had even lately come to think that there might be something in it. Something in what? He asked himself. The world would think him a fool for thinking such a thing; and he thought he was a fool himself. He sat up in his bed and tried to get above the hideous fancy that occupied his brain. Crispin Ken could see as far as most into other men. It was not his way to adopt the popular estimate of respect able motives in what are called religious men, and Crispin Ken had a long time been held to account for his want of charity.