Chapter VIII

           WhatIfeelsureIknowbythistimeisthatallthethingswethinkhappenbychanceandaccidentareonlypartoftheweavingoftheschemeoflife.Whenyoubegintosuspectthisandtowatchcloselyyoualsobegintoseehowtriflesconnectthemselveswithoneanother,andseemintheendtohaveledtoareasonandameaning,thoughwemaynotbecleverenoughtoseeitclearly.Nothingisanaccident.Wemakeeverythinghappenourselves:thewrongthingsbecausewedonotknoworcarewhetherwearewrongorright,therightonesbecauseweunconsciouslyorconsciouslychoosetherighteveninthemidstofourignorance.

           Idaresayitsoundsaudaciousforanordinarygirltosaysuchthingsinanordinaryway;butperhapsIhavesaidtheminspiteofmyself,becauseitisnotabadthingthattheyshouldbesaidbyanevery-daysortofpersoninsimplewordswhichotherevery-daypeoplecanunderstand.IamonlyexpressingwhathasgraduallygrownintobeliefinmymindthroughreadingwithAngusancientbooksandmodernones—booksaboutfaithsandreligions,booksaboutphilosophiesandmagics,booksaboutwhattheworldcallsmarvels,butwhicharenotmarvelsatall,butonlyworkingsoftheLawmostpeoplehavenotyetreasonedaboutorevenaccepted.

           Angushadreadandstudiedthemallhislifebeforehebegantoreadthemwithme,andwetalkedthemovertogethersittingbythefireinthelibrary,fascinatedandstaringateachother,Iinonehigh-backedchairandheinanotherontheoppositesideofthehearth.Angusiswonderful—wonderful!HeKNOWSthereisnosuchthingaschance.