CHAPTER XII.

tsuchpeopledo,withoutanyprospect.Tobesure,thereisreligionasasupport.But,”sheadded,dimpling,“itisverydifferentwithyou,Mary.Youmayhaveanoffer.” “Hasanyonetoldyouhemeanstomakemeone?” “Ofcoursenot.Imean,thereisagentlemanwhomayfallinlovewithyou,seeingyoualmosteveryday.” AcertainchangeinMary’sfacewaschieflydeterminedbytheresolvenottoshowanychange. “Doesthatalwaysmakepeoplefallinlove?”sheanswered,carelessly“itseemstomequiteasoftenareasonfordetestingeachother.” “Notwhentheyareinterestingandagreeable.IhearthatMr.Lydgateisboth.” “Oh,Mr.Lydgate!”saidMary,withanunmistakablelapseintoindifference.“Youwanttoknowsomethingabouthim,”sheadded,notchoosingtoindulgeRosamond’sindirectness. “Merely,howyoulikehim.” “Thereisnoquestionoflikingatpresent.Mylikingalwayswantssomelittlekindnesstokindleit.Iamnotmagnanimousenoughtolikepeoplewhospeaktomewithoutseemingtoseeme.” “Ishesohaughty?”saidRosamond,withheightenedsatisfaction.“Youknowthatheisofgoodfamily?” “Nohedidnotgivethatasareason.” “Mary!youaretheoddestgirl.Butwhatsortoflookingmanishe?Describehimtome.” “Howcanonedescribeaman?Icangiveyouaninventory:heavyeyebrows,darkeyes,astraightnose,thickdarkhair,largesolidwhitehands—and—letmesee—oh,anexquisitecambricpocket-handkerchief.Butyouwillseehim.Youknowthisisaboutthetimeofhisvisits.” Rosamondblushedalittle,butsaid,meditatively,“Iratherlikeahaughtymanner.Icannotendurearattlingyoungman.” “IdidnottellyouthatMr.Lydgatewashaughtybutilyenapourtouslesgo?ts,aslittleMamselleusedtosay,andifanygirlcanchoosetheparticularsortofconceitshewouldlike,Ishouldthinkitisyou,Rosy.” “HaughtinessisnotconceitIcallFredconceited.” “Iwishnoonesaidanyworseofhim.Heshouldbemorecareful.Mrs.WaulehasbeentellingunclethatFredisveryunsteady.”Maryspokefromagirlishimpulsewhichgotthebetterofherjudgment.Therewasavagueuneasinessassociatedwiththeword“unsteady”whichshehopedRosamondmightsaysomethingtodissipate.ButshepurposelyabstainedfrommentioningMrs.Waule’smorespecialinsinuation. “Oh,Fredishorrid!”saidRosamond.ShewouldnothaveallowedherselfsounsuitableawordtoanyonebutMary. “Whatdoyoumeanbyhorrid?” “Heissoidle,andmakespapasoangry,andsayshewillnottakeorders.” “IthinkFredisquiteright.” “Howcanyousayheisquiteright,Mary?Ithoughtyouhadmoresenseofreligion.” “Heisnotfittobeaclergyman.” “Butheoughttobefit.”—“Well,then,heisnotwhatheoughttobe.Iknowsomeotherpeoplewhoareinthesamecase.” “Butnooneapprovesofthem.Ishouldnotliketomarryaclergymanbuttheremustbeclergymen.” “ItdoesnotfollowthatFredmustbeone.” “Butwhenpapahasbeenattheexpenseofeducatinghimforit!Andonlysuppose,ifheshouldhavenofortunelefthim?” “Icansupposethatverywell,”saidMary,dryly. “ThenIwonderyoucandefendFred,”saidRosamond,inclinedtopushthispoint. “Idon’tdefendhim,”saidMary,laughing“Iwoulddefendanyparishfromhavinghimforaclergyman.” “Butofcourseifhewereaclergyman,hemustbedifferent.” “Yes,hewouldbeagreathypocriteandheisnotthatyet.” “Itisofnousesayinganythingtoyou,Mary.YoualwaystakeFred’spart.” “WhyshouldInottakehispart?”saidMary,lightingup.“Hewouldtakemine.Heistheonlypersonwhotakestheleasttroubletoobligeme.” “Youmakemefeelveryuncomfortable,Mary,”saidRosamond,withhergravestmildness“Iwouldnottellmammafortheworld.” “Whatwouldyounottellher?”saidMary,angrily. “Praydonotgointoarage,Mary,”saidRosamond,mildlyasever. “IfyourmammaisafraidthatFredwillmakemeanoffer,tellherthatIwouldnotmarryhimifheaskedme.Butheisnotgoingtodoso,thatIamaware.Hecertainlyneverhasaskedme.” “Mary,youarealwayssoviolent.” “Andyouarealwayssoexasperating.” “I?Whatcanyoublamemefor?” “Oh,blamelesspeoplearealwaysthemostexasperating.Thereisthebell—Ithinkwemustgodown.” “Ididnotmeantoquarrel,”saidRosamond,puttingonherhat. “Quarrel?Nonsensewehavenotquarrelled.Ifoneisnottogetintoaragesometimes,whatisthegoodofbeingfriends?” “AmItorepeatwhatyouhavesaid?” “Justasyouplease.IneversaywhatIamafraidofhavingrepeated.Butletusgodown.” Mr.Lydgatewasratherlatethismorning,butthevisitorsstayedlongenoughtoseehimforMr.FeatherstoneaskedRosamondtosingtohim,andsheherselfwassokindastoproposeasecondfavoritesongofhis—“Flowon,thoushiningriver”—aftershehadsung“Home,sweethome”(whichshedetested).Thishard-headedoldOverreachapprovedofthesentimentalsong,asthesuitablegarnishforgirls,andalsoasfundamentallyfine,sentimentbeingtherightthingforasong. Mr.Featherstonewasstillapplaudingthelastperformance,andassuringmissythathervoicewasasclearasablackbird’s,whenMr.Lydgate’shorsepassedthewindow. Hisdullexpectationoftheusualdisagreeableroutinewithanagedpatient—whocanhardlybelievethatmedicinewouldnot“sethimup”ifthedoctorwereonlycleverenough—addedtohisgeneraldisbeliefinMiddlemarchcharms,madeadoublyeffectivebackgroundtothisvisionofRosamond,whomoldFeatherstonemadehasteostentatiouslytointroduceashisniece,thoughhehadneverthoughtitworthwhiletospeakofMaryGarthinthatlight.NothingescapedLydgateinRosamond’sgracefulbehavior:howdelicatelyshewaivedthenoticewhichtheoldman’swantoftastehadthrustuponherbyaquietgravity,notshowingherdimplesonthewrongoccasion,butshowingthemafterwardsinspeakingtoMary,towhomsheaddressedherselfwithsomuchgood-naturedinterest,thatLydgate,afterquicklyexaminingMarymorefullythanhehaddonebefore,sawanadorablekindnessinRosamond’seyes.ButMaryfromsomecauselookedratheroutoftemper. “MissRosyhasbeensingingmeasong—you’venothingtosayagainstthat,eh,doctor?”saidMr.Featherstone.“Ilikeitbetterthanyourphysic.” “Thathasmademeforgethowthetimewasgoing,”saidRosamond,risingtoreachherhat,whichshehadlaidasidebeforesinging,sothatherflower-likeheadonitswhitestemwasseeninperfectionaboveherriding-habit.“Fred,wemustreallygo.” “Verygood,”saidFred,whohadhisownreasonsfornotbeinginthebestspirits,andwantedtogetaway. “MissVincyisamusician?”saidLydgate,followingherwithhiseyes.(EverynerveandmuscleinRosamondwasadjustedtotheconsciousnessthatshewasbeinglookedat.Shewasbynatureanactressofpartsthatenteredintoherphysique:sheevenactedherowncharacter,andsowell,thatshedidnotknowittobepreciselyherown.) “ThebestinMiddlemarch,I’llbebound,”saidMr.Featherstone,“letthenextbewhoshewill.Eh,Fred?Speakupforyoursister.” “I’mafraidI’moutofcourt,sir.Myevidence