"That's a strange sentiment to come from a Christian man, by God!"said the lawyer. "I should like to know how you will back that up,Garth!"
"Oh," said Caleb, leaning forward, adjusting his finger-tips withnicety and looking meditatively on the ground. It always seemed to himthat words were the hardest part of "business."
But here Mr. Jonah Featherstone made himself heard. "Well, healways was a fine hypocrite, was my brother Peter. But this will cuts outeverything. If I'd known, a wagon and six horses shouldn't have drawnme from Brassing. I'll put a white hat and drab coat on to-morrow."
"Dear, dear," wept Mrs. Cranch, "and we've been at the expense oftravelling, and that poor lad sitting idle here so long! It's the first time Iever heard my brother Peter was so wishful to please God Almighty; butif I was to be struck helpless I must say it's hard—I can think no other."
"It'll do him no good where he's gone, that's my belief," said Solomon,with a bitterness which was remarkably genuine, though his tone couldnot help being sly. "Peter was a bad liver, and almshouses won't cover it,when he's had the impudence to show it at the last."
"And all the while had got his own lawful family—brothers andsisters and nephews and nieces—and has sat in church with 'emwhenever he thought well to come," said Mrs. Waule. "And might haveleft his property so respectable, to them that's never been used toextravagance or unsteadiness in no manner of way—and not so poor butwhat they could have saved every penny and made more of it. And me—the trouble I've been at, times and times, to come here and be sisterly—and him with things on his mind all the while that might make anybody'sflesh creep. But if the Almighty's allowed it, he means to punish him forit. Brother Solomon, I shall be going, if you'll drive me."
"I've no desire to put my foot on the premises again," said Solomon."I've got land of my own and property of my own to will away."
"It's a poor tale how luck goes in the world," said Jonah. "It neveranswers to have a bit of spirit in you. You'd better be a dog in themanger. But those above ground might learn a lesson. One fool's will isenough in a family."
"There's more ways than one of being a fool," said Solomon. "I shan'tleave my money to be poured down the sink, and I shan't leave it tofoundlings from Africay. I like Feather, stones that were brewed such,and not turned Featherstones with sticking the name on 'em."
Solomon addressed these remarks in a loud aside to Mrs. Waule ashe rose to accompany her. Brother Jonah felt himself capable of muchmore stinging wit than this, but he reflected that there was no use inoffending the new proprietor of Stone Court, until you were certain thathe was quite without intentions of hospitality towards witty men whosename he was about to bear.
Mr. Joshua Rigg, in fact, appeared to trouble himself little about anyinnuendoes, but showed a notable change of manner, walking coolly upto Mr. Standish and putting business questions with much coolness. Hehad a high chirping voice and a vile accent. Fred, whom he no longermoved to laughter, thought him the lowest monster he had ever seen.But Fred was feeling rather sick. The Middlemarch mercer waited for anopportunity of engaging Mr. Rigg in conversation: there was no knowinghow many pairs of legs the new proprietor might require hose for, andprofits were more to be relied on than legacies. Also, the mercer, as asecond cousin, was dispassionate enough to feel curiosity.
Mr. Vincy, after his one outburst, had remained proudly silent,though too much preoccupied with unpleasant feelings to think ofmoving, till he observed that his wife had gone to Fred's side and wascrying silently while she held her darling's hand. He rose immediately,and turning his back on the company while he said to her in anundertone,—"Don't give way, Lucy; don't make a fool of yourself, mydear, before these people," he added in his usual loud voice—"Go andorder the phaeton, Fred; I have no time to waste."
Mary Garth had before this been getting ready to go home with herfather. She met Fred in the hall, and now for the first time had thecourage to look at him. He had that withered sort of paleness which willsometimes come on young faces, and his hand was very cold when sheshook it. Mary too was agitated; she was conscious that fatally, withoutwill of her own, she had perhaps made a great difference to Fred's lot.
"Good-by," she said, with affectionate sadness. "Be brave, Fred. I dobelieve you are better without the money. What was the good of it to Mr.Featherstone?"
"That's all very fine," said Fred, pettishly. "What is a fellow to do? Imust go into the Church now." (He knew that this would vex Mary: verywell; then she must tell him what else he could do.) "And I thought Ishould be able to pay your father at once and make everything right. Andyou have not even a hundred pounds left you. What shall you do now,Mary?"
"Take another situation, of course, as soon as I can get one. Myfather has enough to do to keep the rest, without me. Good-by."
In a very short time Stone Court was cleared of well-brewedFeatherstones and other long-accustomed visitors. Another stranger hadbeen brought to settle in the neighborhood of Middlemarch, but in thecase of Mr. Rigg Featherstone there was more discontent with immediatevisible consequences than speculation as to the effect which his presencemight have in the future. No soul was prophetic enough to have anyforeboding as to what might appear on the trial of Joshua Rigg.
And here I am naturally led to reflect on the means of elevating a lowsubject. Historical parallels are remarkably efficient in this way. Thechief objection to them is, that the diligent narrator may lack space, or(what is often the same thing) may not be able to think of them with anydegree of particularity, though he may have a philosophical confidencethat if known they would be illustrative. It seems an easier and shorterway to dignity, to observe that—since there never was a true story whichcould not be told in parables, where you might put a monkey for amargrave, and vice versa—whatever has been or is to be narrated by meabout low people, may be ennobled by being considered a parable; sothat if any bad habits and ugly consequences are brought into view, thereader may have the relief of regarding them as not more thanfiguratively ungenteel, and may feel himself virtually in company withpersons of some style. Thus while I tell the truth about loobies, myreader's imagination need not be entirely excluded from an occupationwith lords; and the petty sums which any bankrupt of high standingwould be sorry to retire upon, may be lifted to the level of highcommercial transactions by the inexpensive addition of proportionalciphers.
As to any provincial history in which the agents are all of high moralrank, that must be of a date long posterior to the first Reform Bill, andPeter Featherstone, you perceive, was dead and buried some monthsbefore Lord Grey came into office.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
"'Tis strange to see the humors of these men,
These great aspiring spirits, that should be wise:
. . . . . . . .
For being the nature of great spirits to love
To be where they may be most eminent;
They, rating of themselves so farre above
Us in conceit, with whom they do frequent,
Imagine how we wonder and esteeme
All that they do or say; which makes them strive
To make our admiration more extreme,
Which they suppose they cannot, 'less they give
Notice of their extreme and highest thoughts.
—DANIEL: Tragedy of Philotas.
Mr. Vincy went home from the reading of the will with his point ofview considerably changed in relation to many subjects. He was an open-minded man, but given to indirect modes of expressing himself: when hewas disappointed in a market for his silk braids, he swore at the groom;when his brother-in-law Bulstrode had vexed him, he made cuttingremarks on Methodism; and it was now apparent that he regarded Fred'sidleness with a sudden increase of severity, by his throwing anembroidered cap out of the smoking-room on to the hall-floor.
"Well, sir," he observed, when that young gentleman was moving offto bed, "I hope you've made up your mind now to go up next term andpass your examination. I've taken my resolution, so I advise you to loseno time in taking yours."
Fred made no answer: he was too utterly depressed. Twenty-fourhours ago he had thought that instead of needing to know what heshould do, he should by this time know that he needed to do nothing:that he should hunt in pink, have a first-rate hunter, ride to cover on afine hack, and be generally respected for doing so; moreover, that heshould be able at once to pay Mr. Garth, and that Mary could no longerhave any reason for not marrying him. And all this was to have comewithout study or other inconvenience, purely by the favor of providencein the shape of an old gentleman's caprice. But now, at the end of thetwenty-four hours, all those firm expectations were upset. It was "ratherhard lines" that while he was smarting under this disappointment heshould be treated as if he could have helped it. But he went away silentlyand his mother pleaded for him.
"Don't be hard on the poor boy, Vincy. He'll turn out well yet, thoughthat wicked man has deceived him. I feel as sure as I sit here, Fred willturn out well—else why was he brought back from the brink of thegrave? And I call it a robbery: it was like giving him the land, to promiseit; and what is promising, if making everybody believe is not promising?And you see he did leave him ten thousand pounds, and then took itaway again."
"Took it away again!" said Mr. Vincy, pettishly. "I tell you the lad'san unlucky lad, Lucy. And you've always spoiled him."
"Well, Vincy, he was my first, and you made a fine fuss with himwhen he came. You were as proud as proud," said Mrs. Vincy, easilyrecovering her cheerful smile.
"Who knows what babies will turn to? I was fool enough, I dare say,"said the husband—more mildly, however.
"But who has handsomer, better children than ours? Fred is farbeyond other people's sons: you may hear it in his speech, that he haskept college company. And Rosamond—where is there a girl like her?She might stand beside any lady in the land, and only look the better forit. You see—Mr. Lydgate has kept the highest company and beeneverywhere, and he fell in love with her at once. Not but what I couldhave wished Rosamond had not engaged herself. She might have metsomebody on a visit who would have been a far better match; I mean ather schoolfellow Miss Willoughby's. There are relations in that familyquite as high as Mr. Lydgate's."
"Damn relations!" said Mr. Vincy; "I've had enough of them. I don'twant a son-in-law who has got nothing but his relations to recommendhim."
"Why, my dear," said Mrs. Vincy, "you seemed as pleased as could beabout it. It's true, I wasn't at home; but Rosamond told me you hadn't aword to say against the engagement. And she has begun to buy in thebest linen and cambric for her underclothing."
"Not by my will," said Mr. Vincy. "I shall have enough to do thisyear, with an idle scamp of a son, without paying for wedding-clothes.The times are as tight as can be; everybody is being ruined; and I don'tbelieve Lydgate has got a farthing. I shan't give my consent to theirmarrying. Let 'em wait, as their elders have done before 'em."
"Rosamond will take it hard, Vincy, and you know you never couldbear to cross her."
"Yes, I could. The sooner the engagement's off, the better. I don'tbelieve he'll ever make an income, the way he goes on. He makesenemies; that's all I hear of his making."
"But he stands very high with Mr. Bulstrode, my dear. The marriagewould please him, I should think."
"Please the deuce!" said Mr. Vincy. "Bulstrode won't pay for theirkeep. And if Lydgate thinks I'm going to give money for them to set uphousekeeping, he's mistaken, that's all. I expect I shall have to put downmy horses soon. You'd better tell Rosy what I say."
This was a not infrequent procedure with Mr. Vincy—to be rash injovial assent, and on becoming subsequently conscious that he had beenrash, to employ others in making the offensive retractation. However,Mrs. Vincy, who never willingly opposed her husband, lost no time thenext morning in letting Rosamond know what he had said. Rosamond,examining some muslin-work, listened in silence, and at the end gave acertain turn of her graceful neck, of which only long experience couldteach you that it meant perfect obstinacy.
"What do you say, my dear?" said her mother, with affectionatedeference.
"Papa does not mean anything of the kind," said Rosamond, quitecalmly. "He has always said that he wished me to marry the man I loved.And I shall marry Mr. Lydgate. It is seven weeks now since papa gavehis consent. And I hope we shall have Mrs. Bretton's house."
"Well, my dear, I shall leave you to manage your papa. You alwaysdo manage everybody. But if we ever do go and get damask, Sadler's isthe place—far better than Hopkins's. Mrs. Bretton's is very large, though:I should love you to have such a house; but it will take a great deal offurniture—carpeting and everything, besides plate and glass. And youhear, your papa says he will give no money. Do you think Mr. Lydgateexpects it?"
"You cannot imagine that I should ask him, mamma. Of course heunderstands his own affairs."
"But he may have been looking for money, my dear, and we allthought of your having a pretty legacy as well as Fred;—and noweverything is so dreadful—there's no pleasure in thinking of anything,with that poor boy disappointed as he is."
"That has nothing to do with my marriage, mamma. Fred must leaveoff being idle. I am going up-stairs to take this work to Miss Morgan: shedoes the open hemming very well. Mary Garth might do some work forme now, I should think. Her sewing is exquisite; it is the nicest thing Iknow about Mary. I should so like to have all my cambric frilling double-hemmed. And it takes a long time."
