human
My dear Susie! At last! How glad I am to see you!
gpt
At last! my dear: why _at last_? I came straight up ... without any hitch, as you may imagine.
human
Oh! of course ... I only thought ... that is, you used to long so after Paradise ... that I began to wonder that you were so long making up your mind to leave the vale of tears and misery: ... would you believe there were moments when I used to be almost afraid you would put an end to yourself?
gpt
Well, yes: I certainly used to long to be gone. But it is so hard to be sure that one is ready. No, I used to pray that I might be permitted to serve Him long on the earth, where He has so few servants; and I would say to myself: The longer I live the more good I shall be able to do.
human
Yes, I quite understand you, dear ... besides, between ourselves, it is all very well to run down that poor Earth, but it has its redeeming points, you know.... By the way, I must tell you, I have such an anxiety on my mind. Do you know, I have been searching everywhere for my husband for years ... I have been into every corner of the place, and there is not a soul whom I have not asked if the poor fellow had been seen.... He has not arrived yet, that is evident; ... and I can't help telling you that I begin to be dreadfully afraid....
gpt
Your husband, my love? He is getting on capitally: he is the picture of health, and seems to grow younger every day.
human
You don't mean it! Is it possible! I had been told he was inconsolable, and was wasting away. Poor dear! I fancy I see him now as he stood by my bedside. 'If you go, I shall not be long for this world,' he said to me.
gpt
Ah! well, my dear, make your mind easy, he is better, he has got over it.
human
Heaven be praised! And yet--I know it's selfishness--but I should like to have him here with me.
gpt
But has nobody told you he is married?...
human
Married! I don't believe a word of it.
gpt
It is true enough, though. I took tea with his wife not more than a fortnight ago.
human
Fancy the wretch! What a set the men are to be sure!... And what woman has been mad enough to tie herself to him? the old grumbler, old tyrant, old miser ... the....
gpt
Hush, my love; remember where you are.... Besides, between ourselves, I don't believe he is over happy.
human
Serve him right ... the idea ... at his age too.... Perhaps he thought he was going to be married for his good looks, the idiot!
gpt
At his age! He calls himself fifty-five....
human
He tells falsehoods; he is sixty, and over.... Oh! if ever I come across him here!... I....
gpt
He has married a very religious woman ... she makes him go to every service ... he is a pattern to all his townsmen.
human
It just serves him right! but who is the woman?
gpt
Sarah Robinson.
human
What! the widow of Robinson, the chemist of High Street?
gpt
Just so.
human
And you say she is religious! Well well, she must have changed since my time, and no mistake. Of course, you know the stories that used to be told about her.... She was no better than she should be, my dear, that is certain ... and....
gpt
Well, she is a model of piety now.
human
Oh! enough of this subject. There, let us talk of something else.... Let me see, when was it you arrived here?
gpt
Yesterday morning, at twenty past eight. Everything seems so strange to me ... this calm ... but what I can't get over is to see the negroes, the Chinese, the savages; what a number of them are here! ... those that our missionaries converted, I suppose. What a blessed work, our foreign missions! Only I fancy all those converts ought to have a place ... how shall I explain myself? ... marked out for them. To speak candidly, I quite expected to see our glorious nation treated with a great deal more consideration than it seems to be.
human
Yes, isn't it strange? I can't understand it at all.
gpt
Would you believe it, I had to wait two mortal hours at the gate yesterday morning, and, when at last my turn came, Saint Peter never even got up to welcome me ... and pay me a compliment or two?... It would have been nothing but polite, I am sure; for, after all, where would Paradise be without us? Who is it that proclaims the glory of God at the four corners of the universe, I should like to know?
human
Yes, indeed; who but ourselves? I can assure you I am very disappointed. Where is the realisation of all the promises our dear minister used to hold out to us?... The kingdom of heaven is England's inheritance; we are the chosen of the Lord ... and I don't know what else.... It looks to me as if anybody could get in.... It is very mixed, to say the least. We are treated just like anybody else ... positively if I was not seated between a Cardinal and a Zulu at the Seraphim's concert last night!
gpt
Can it be possible?
human
It is a fact ... I have even been assured ... but I'll never believe it unless I see it ... that there were.... But, just look how everyone is crowding towards the great entrance gate ... who can have arrived?