CHAPTER VI.

achelorlikethattomarry?”saidSirJames.“Hehasonefootinthegrave.” “Hemeanstodrawitoutagain,Isuppose.” “Brookeoughtnottoallowit:heshouldinsistonitsbeingputofftillsheisofage.Shewouldthinkbetterofitthen.Whatisaguardianfor?” “AsifyoucouldeversqueezearesolutionoutofBrooke!” “Cadwalladermighttalktohim.” “Nothe!Humphreyfindseverybodycharming.InevercangethimtoabuseCasaubon.Hewillevenspeakwellofthebishop,thoughItellhimitisunnaturalinabeneficedclergymanwhatcanonedowithahusbandwhoattendssolittletothedecencies?IhideitaswellasIcanbyabusingeverybodymyself.Come,come,cheerup!youarewellridofMissBrooke,agirlwhowouldhavebeenrequiringyoutoseethestarsbydaylight.Betweenourselves,littleCeliaisworthtwoofher,andlikelyafteralltobethebettermatch.ForthismarriagetoCasaubonisasgoodasgoingtoanunnery.” “Oh,onmyownaccount—itisforMissBrooke’ssakeIthinkherfriendsshouldtrytousetheirinfluence.” “Well,Humphreydoesn’tknowyet.ButwhenItellhim,youmaydependonithewillsay,‘Whynot?Casaubonisagoodfellow—andyoung—youngenough.’Thesecharitablepeopleneverknowvinegarfromwinetilltheyhaveswalloweditandgotthecolic.However,ifIwereamanIshouldpreferCelia,especiallywhenDorotheawasgone.Thetruthis,youhavebeencourtingoneandhavewontheother.Icanseethatsheadmiresyoualmostasmuchasamanexpectstobeadmired.Ifitwereanyonebutmewhosaidso,youmightthinkitexaggeration.Good-by!” SirJameshandedMrs.Cadwalladertothephaeton,andthenjumpedonhishorse.Hewasnotgoingtorenouncehisridebecauseofhisfriend’sunpleasantnews—onlytoridethefasterinsomeotherdirectionthanthatofTiptonGrange. Now,whyonearthshouldMrs.CadwalladerhavebeenatallbusyaboutMissBrooke’smarriageandwhy,whenonematchthatshelikedtothinkshehadahandinwasfrustrated,shouldshehavestraightwaycontrivedthepreliminariesofanother?Wasthereanyingeniousplot,anyhide-and-seekcourseofaction,whichmightbedetectedbyacarefultelescopicwatch?Notatall:atelescopemighthaveswepttheparishesofTiptonandFreshitt,thewholeareavisitedbyMrs.Cadwalladerinherphaeton,withoutwitnessinganyinterviewthatcouldexcitesuspicion,oranyscenefromwhichshedidnotreturnwiththesameunperturbedkeennessofeyeandthesamehighnaturalcolor.Infact,ifthatconvenientvehiclehadexistedinthedaysoftheSevenSages,oneofthemwoulddoubtlesshaveremarked,thatyoucanknowlittleofwomenbyfollowingthemaboutintheirpony-phaetons.Evenwithamicroscopedirectedonawater-dropwefindourselvesmakinginterpretationswhichturnouttoberathercoarseforwhereasunderaweaklensyoumayseemtoseeacreatureexhibitinganactivevoracityintowhichothersmallercreaturesactivelyplayasiftheyweresomanyanimatedtax-pennies,astrongerlensrevealstoyoucertaintiniesthairletswhichmakevorticesforthesevictimswhiletheswallowerwaitspassivelyathisreceiptofcustom.Inthisway,metaphoricallyspeaking,astronglensappliedtoMrs.Cadwallader’smatch-makingwillshowaplayofminutecausesproducingwhatmaybecalledthoughtandspeechvorticestobringherthesortoffoodsheneeded.Herlifewasrurallysimple,quitefreefromsecretseitherfoul,dangerous,orotherwiseimportant,andnotconsciouslyaffectedbythegreataffairsoftheworld.Allthemoredidtheaffairsofthegreatworldinteresther,whencommunicatedinthelettersofhigh-bornrelations:thewayinwhichfascinatingyoungersonshadgonetothedogsbymarryingtheirmistressesthefineold-bloodedidiocyofyoungLordTapir,andthefuriousgoutyhumorsofoldLordMegatheriumtheexactcrossingofgenealogieswhichhadbroughtacoronetintoanewbranchandwidenedtherelationsofscandal,—theseweretopicsofwhichsheretaineddetailswiththeutmostaccuracy,andreproducedtheminanexcellentpickleofepigrams,whichsheherselfenjoyedthemorebecauseshebelievedasunquestionablyinbirthandno-birthasshedidingameandvermin.Shewouldneverhavedisownedanyoneonthegroundofpoverty:aDeBracyreducedtotakehisdinnerinabasinwouldhaveseemedtoheranexampleofpathosworthexaggerating,andIfearhisaristocraticviceswouldnothavehorrifiedher.Butherfeelingtowardsthevulgarrichwasasortofreligioushatred:theyhadprobablymadealltheirmoneyoutofhighretailprices,andMrs.CadwalladerdetestedhighpricesforeverythingthatwasnotpaidinkindattheRectory:suchpeoplewerenopartofGod’sdesigninmakingtheworldandth