CHAPTER I.

earlysixty,ofacquiescenttemper,miscellaneousopinions,anduncertainvote.Hehadtravelledinhisyoungeryears,andwasheldinthispartofthecountytohavecontractedatooramblinghabitofmind.Mr.Brooke’sconclusionswereasdifficulttopredictastheweather:itwasonlysafetosaythathewouldactwithbenevolentintentions,andthathewouldspendaslittlemoneyaspossibleincarryingthemout.Forthemostglutinouslyindefinitemindsenclosesomehardgrainsofhabitandamanhasbeenseenlaxaboutallhisowninterestsexcepttheretentionofhissnuff-box,concerningwhichhewaswatchful,suspicious,andgreedyofclutch. InMr.BrookethehereditarystrainofPuritanenergywasclearlyinabeyancebutinhisnieceDorotheaitglowedalikethroughfaultsandvirtues,turningsometimesintoimpatienceofheruncle’stalkorhiswayof“lettingthingsbe”onhisestate,andmakingherlongallthemoreforthetimewhenshewouldbeofageandhavesomecommandofmoneyforgenerousschemes.Shewasregardedasanheiressfornotonlyhadthesisterssevenhundreda-yeareachfromtheirparents,butifDorotheamarriedandhadason,thatsonwouldinheritMr.Brooke’sestate,presumablyworthaboutthreethousanda-year—arentalwhichseemedwealthtoprovincialfamilies,stilldiscussingMr.Peel’slateconductontheCatholicquestion,innocentoffuturegold-fields,andofthatgorgeousplutocracywhichhassonoblyexaltedthenecessitiesofgenteellife. AndhowshouldDorotheanotmarry?—agirlsohandsomeandwithsuchprospects?Nothingcouldhinderitbutherloveofextremes,andherinsistenceonregulatinglifeaccordingtonotionswhichmightcauseawarymantohesitatebeforehemadeheranoffer,orevenmightleadheratlasttorefusealloffers.Ayoungladyofsomebirthandfortune,whokneltsuddenlydownonabrickfloorbythesideofasicklaborerandprayedfervidlyasifshethoughtherselflivinginthetimeoftheApostles—whohadstrangewhimsoffastinglikeaPapist,andofsittingupatnighttoreadoldtheologicalbooks!Suchawifemightawakenyousomefinemorningwithanewschemefortheapplicationofherincomewhichwouldinterferewithpoliticaleconomyandthekeepingofsaddle-horses:amanwouldnaturallythinktwicebeforeheriskedhimselfinsuchfellowship.Womenwereexpectedtohaveweakopinionsbutthegreatsafeguardofsocietyandofdomesticlifewas,thatopinionswerenotactedon.Sanepeopledidwhattheirneighborsdid,sothatifanylunaticswereatlarge,onemightknowandavoidthem. Theruralopinionaboutthenewyoungladies,evenamongthecottagers,wasgenerallyinfavorofCelia,asbeingsoamiableandinnocent-looking,whileMissBrooke’slargeeyesseemed,likeherreligion,toounusualandstriking.PoorDorothea!comparedwithher,theinnocent-lookingCeliawasknowingandworldly-wisesomuchsubtlerisahumanmindthantheoutsidetissueswhichmakeasortofblazonryorclock-faceforit. YetthosewhoapproachedDorothea,thoughprejudicedagainstherbythisalarminghearsay,foundthatshehadacharmunaccountablyreconcilablewithit.Mostmenthoughtherbewitchingwhenshewasonhorseback.Shelovedthefreshairandthevariousaspectsofthecountry,andwhenhereyesandcheeksglowedwithmingledpleasureshelookedverylittlelikeadevotee.Ridingwasanindulgencewhichsheallowedherselfinspiteofconscientiousqualmsshefeltthatsheenjoyeditinapagansensuousway,andalwayslookedforwardtorenouncingit. Shewasopen,ardent,andnotintheleastself-admiringindeed,itwasprettytoseehowherimaginationadornedhersisterCeliawithattractionsaltogethersuperiortoherow