CHAPTER I.

n,andifanygentlemanappearedtocometotheGrangefromsomeothermotivethanthatofseeingMr.Brooke,sheconcludedthathemustbeinlovewithCelia:SirJamesChettam,forexample,whomsheconstantlyconsideredfromCelia’spointofview,inwardlydebatingwhetheritwouldbegoodforCeliatoaccepthim.Thatheshouldberegardedasasuitortoherselfwouldhaveseemedtoheraridiculousirrelevance.Dorothea,withallhereagernesstoknowthetruthsoflife,retainedverychildlikeideasaboutmarriage.ShefeltsurethatshewouldhaveacceptedthejudiciousHooker,ifshehadbeenbornintimetosavehimfromthatwretchedmistakehemadeinmatrimonyorJohnMiltonwhenhisblindnesshadcomeonoranyoftheothergreatmenwhoseoddhabitsitwouldhavebeengloriouspietytoendurebutanamiablehandsomebaronet,whosaid“Exactly”toherremarksevenwhensheexpresseduncertainty,—howcouldheaffectherasalover?Thereallydelightfulmarriagemustbethatwhereyourhusbandwasasortoffather,andcouldteachyouevenHebrew,ifyouwishedit. ThesepeculiaritiesofDorothea’scharactercausedMr.Brooketobeallthemoreblamedinneighboringfamiliesfornotsecuringsomemiddle-agedladyasguideandcompaniontohisnieces.Buthehimselfdreadedsomuchthesortofsuperiorwomanlikelytobeavailableforsuchaposition,thatheallowedhimselftobedissuadedbyDorothea’sobjections,andwasinthiscasebraveenoughtodefytheworld—thatistosay,Mrs.CadwalladertheRector’swife,andthesmallgroupofgentrywithwhomhevisitedinthenortheastcornerofLoamshire.SoMissBrookepresidedinheruncle’shousehold,anddidnotatalldislikehernewauthority,withthehomagethatbelongedtoit. SirJamesChettamwasgoingtodineattheGrangeto-daywithanothergentlemanwhomthegirlshadneverseen,andaboutwhomDorotheafeltsomeveneratingexpectation.ThiswastheReverendEdwardCasaubon,notedinthecountyasamanofprofoundlearning,understoodformanyyearstobeengagedonagreatworkconcerningreligioushistoryalsoasamanofwealthenoughtogivelustretohispiety,andhavingviewsofhisownwhichweretobemoreclearlyascertainedonthepublicationofhisbook.Hisverynamecarriedanimpressivenesshardlytobemeasuredwithoutaprecisechronologyofscholarship. EarlyinthedayDorotheahadreturnedfromtheinfantschoolwhichshehadsetgoinginthevillage,andwastakingherusualplaceintheprettysitting-roomwhichdividedthebedroomsofthesisters,bentonfinishingaplanforsomebuildings(akindofworkwhichshedelightedin),whenCelia,whohadbeenwatchingherwithahesitatingdesiretoproposesomething,said— “Dorothea,dear,ifyoudon’tmind—ifyouarenotverybusy—supposewelookedatmamma’sjewelsto-day,anddividedthem?Itisexactlysixmonthsto-daysinceunclegavethemtoyou,andyouhavenotlookedatthemyet.” Celia’sfacehadtheshadowofapoutingexpressioninit,thefullpresenceofthepoutbeingkeptbackbyanhabitualaweofDorotheaandprincipletwoassociatedfactswhichmightshowamysteriouselectricityifyoutouchedthemincautiously.Toherrelief,Dorothea’seyeswerefulloflaughterasshelookedup. “Whatawonderfullittlealmanacyouare,Celia!Isitsixcalendarorsixlunarmonths?” “ItisthelastdayofSeptembernow,anditwasthefirstofAprilwhenunclegavethemtoyou.Youknow,hesaidthathehadforgottenthemtillthen.Ibelieveyouhaveneverthoughtofthemsinceyoulockedthemupinthecabinethere.” “Well,dear,weshouldneverwearthem,youknow.”Dorotheaspokeinafullcordialtone,halfcaressing,halfexplanatory.Shehadherpencilinherhand,andwasm