CHAPTER XII.

ogivemeadviceabouttheoldwheat,mebeingawidow,andmysonJohnonlythree-and-twenty,thoughsteadybeyondanything.Andhehaditfrommostundeniableauthority,andnotone,butmany.” “Stuffandnonsense!Idon’tbelieveawordofit.It’sallagot-upstory.Gotothewindow,missyIthoughtIheardahorse.Seeifthedoctor’scoming.” “Notgotupbyme,brother,noryetbySolomon,who,whateverelsehemaybe—andIdon’tdenyhehasoddities—hasmadehiswillandpartedhispropertyequalbetweensuchkinashe’sfriendswiththough,formypart,Ithinktherearetimeswhensomeshouldbeconsideredmorethanothers.ButSolomonmakesitnosecretwhathemeanstodo.” “Themorefoolhe!”saidMr.Featherstone,withsomedifficultybreakingintoaseverefitofcoughingthatrequiredMaryGarthtostandnearhim,sothatshedidnotfindoutwhosehorsestheywerewhichpresentlypausedstampingonthegravelbeforethedoor. BeforeMr.Featherstone’scoughwasquiet,Rosamondentered,bearingupherriding-habitwithmuchgrace.ShebowedceremoniouslytoMrs.Waule,whosaidstiffly,“Howdoyoudo,miss?”smiledandnoddedsilentlytoMary,andremainedstandingtillthecoughingshouldcease,andallowheruncletonoticeher. “Heyday,miss!”hesaidatlast,“youhaveafinecolor.Where’sFred?” “Seeingaboutthehorses.Hewillbeinpresently.” “Sitdown,sitdown.Mrs.Waule,you’dbettergo.” EventhoseneighborswhohadcalledPeterFeatherstoneanoldfox,hadneveraccusedhimofbeinginsincerelypolite,andhissisterwasquiteusedtothepeculiarabsenceofceremonywithwhichhemarkedhissenseofblood-relationship.Indeed,sheherselfwasaccustomedtothinkthatentirefreedomfromthenecessityofbehavingagreeablywasincludedintheAlmighty’sintentionsaboutfamilies.Sheroseslowlywithoutanysignofresentment,andsaidinherusualmuffledmonotone,“Brother,Ihopethenewdoctorwillbeabletodosomethingforyou.Solomonsaysthere’sgreattalkofhiscleverness.I’msureit’smywishyoushouldbespared.Andthere’snonemorereadytonurseyouthanyourownsisterandyourownnieces,ifyou’donlysaytheword.There’sRebecca,andJoanna,andElizabeth,youknow.” “Ay,ay,Iremember—you’llseeI’veremembered’emall—alldarkandugly.They’dneedhavesomemoney,eh?ThereneverwasanybeautyinthewomenofourfamilybuttheFeatherstoneshavealwayshadsomemoney,andtheWaulestoo.Waulehadmoneytoo.AwarmmanwasWaule.Ay,aymoney’sagoodeggandifyou’vegotmoneytoleavebehindyou,layitinawarmnest.Good-by,Mrs.Waule.”HereMr.Featherstonepulledatbothsidesofhiswigasifhewantedtodeafenhimself,andhissisterwentawayruminatingonthisoracularspeechofhis.NotwithstandingherjealousyoftheVincysandofMaryGarth,thereremainedasthenethermostsedimentinhermentalshallowsapersuasionthatherbrotherPeterFeatherstonecouldneverleavehischiefpropertyawayfromhisblood-relations:—else,whyhadtheAlmightycarriedoffhistwowivesbothchildless,afterhehadgainedsomuchbymanganeseandthings,turningupwhennobodyexpectedit?—andwhywasthereaLowickparishchurch,andtheWaulesandPowderellsallsittinginthesamepewforgenerations,andtheFeatherstonepewnexttothem,if,theSundayafterherbrotherPeter’sdeath,everybodywastoknowthatthepropertywasgoneoutofthefamily?Thehumanmindhasatnoperiodacceptedamoralchaosandsopreposterousaresultwasnotstrictlyconceivable.Butwearefrightenedatmuchthatisnotstrictlyconceivable. WhenFredcameintheoldmaneyedhimwithapeculiartwinkle,whichtheyoungerhadoftenhadreasontointerpretasprideinthesatisfactorydetailsofhisappearance. “Youtwomissesgoaway,”saidMr.Featherstone.“IwanttospeaktoFred.” “Comeintomyroom,Rosamond,youwillnotmindthecoldforalittlewhile,”saidMary.Thetwogirlshadnotonlyknowneachotherinchildhood,buthadbeenatthesameprovincialschooltogether(Maryasanarticledpupil),sothattheyhadmanymemoriesincommon,andlikedverywelltotalkinprivate.Indeed,thistête-à-têtewasoneofRosamond’sobjectsincomingtoStoneCourt. OldFeatherstonewouldnotbeginthedialoguetillthedoorhadbeenclosed.HecontinuedtolookatFredwiththesametwinkleandwithoneofhishabitualgrimaces,alternatelyscrewingandwideninghismouthandwhenhespoke,itwasinalowtone,whichmightbetakenforthatofaninformerreadytobeboughtoff,ratherthanforthetoneofanoffendedsenior.Hewasnotamantofeelanystrongmoralindignationevenonaccountoftrespassesagainsthimself.Itwasnaturalthatothersshouldwanttogetanadvantageoverhim,butthen,hewasalittletoocunningforthem. “So,sir,you’vebeenpayingtenpercentformoneywhichyou’vepromisedtopayoffbymortgagingmylandwhenI’mdeadandgone,eh?Youputmylifeatatwelvemonth,say.ButIcanaltermywillyet.” Fredblushed.Hehadnotborrowedmoneyinthatway,forexcellentreasons.Buthewasconsciousofhavingspokenwithsomeconfidence(perhapswithmorethanheexactlyremembered)abouthisprospectofgettingFeatherstone’slandasafuturemeansofpayingpresentdebts. “Idon’tknowwhatyoureferto,sir.Ihavecertainlyneverborrowedanymoneyonsuchaninsecurity.Pleasedoexplain.” “No,sir,it’syoumustexplain.Icanaltermywillyet,letmetellyou.I’mofsoundmind—canreckoncompoundinterestinmyhead,andremembereveryfool’snameaswellasIcouldtwentyyearsago.Whatthedeuce?I’mundereighty.Isay,youmustcontradictthisstory.” “Ihavecontradictedit,sir,”Fredanswered,withatouchofimpatience,notrememberingthathisuncledidnotverballydiscriminatecontradictingfromdisproving,thoughnoonewasfurtherfromconfoundingthetwoideasthanoldFeatherstone,whooftenwonderedthatsomanyfoolstookhisownassertionsforproofs.“ButIcontradictitagain.Thestoryisasillylie.” “Nonsense!youmustbringdockiments.Itcomesfromauthority.” “Nametheauthority,andmakehimnamethemanofwhomIborrowedthemoney,andthenIcandisprovethestory.” “It’sprettygoodauthority,Ithink—amanwhoknowsmostofwhatgoesoninMiddlemarch.It’sthatfine,religious,charitableuncleo’yours.Comenow!”HereMr.Featherstonehadhispeculiarinwardshakewhichsignifiedmerriment. “Mr.Bulstrode?” “Whoelse,eh?” “Thenthestoryhasgrownintothislieoutofsomesermonizingwordshemayhaveletfallaboutme.Dotheypretendthathenamedthemanwholentmethemoney?” “Ifthereissuchaman,dependuponitBulstrodeknowshim.But,supposingyouonlytriedtogetthemoneylent,anddidn’tgetit—Bulstrode’udknowthattoo.YoubringmeawritingfromBulstrodetosayhedoesn’tbelieveyou’veeverpromisedtopayyourdebtsouto’myland.Comenow!” Mr.Featherstone’sfacerequireditswholescaleofgrimacesasamuscularoutlettohissilenttriumphinthesoundnessofhisfaculties. Fredfelthimselftobeinadisgustingdilemma. “Youmustbejoking,sir.Mr.Bulstrode,likeothermen,believesscoresofthingsthatarenottrue,andhehasaprejudiceagainstme.Ic