CHAPTER III. MR. YORKE.

oollyadvancingtheopinionthatitwasaswelltoyieldtohimsoonaslate,sincehemustintheendcrusheveryantagonist,andreignsupreme. Helstonecouldnotbearthesesentiments.ItwasonlyontheconsiderationofMoorebeingasortofoutcastandalien,andhavingbuthalfmeasureofBritishbloodtotempertheforeigngallwhichcorrodedhisveins,thathebroughthimselftolistentothemwithoutindulgingthewishhefelttocanethespeaker.Anotherthing,too,somewhatallayedhisdisgust—namely,afellow-feelingforthedoggedtonewithwhichtheseopinionswereasserted,andarespectfortheconsistencyofMoore'scrabbedcontumacy. AsthepartyturnedintotheStilbro'road,theymetwhatlittlewindtherewastheraindashedintheirfaces.Moorehadbeenfrettinghiscompanionpreviously,andnow,bracedupbytherawbreeze,andperhapsirritatedbythesharpdrizzle,hebegantogoadhim. "DoesyourPeninsularnewspleaseyoustill?"heasked. "Whatdoyoumean?"wasthesurlydemandoftherector. "Imean,haveyoustillfaithinthatBaalofaLordWellington?" "Andwhatdoyoumeannow?" "Doyoustillbelievethatthiswooden-facedandpebble-heartedidolofEnglandhaspowertosendfiredownfromheaventoconsumetheFrenchholocaustyouwanttoofferup?" "IbelieveWellingtonwillflogBonaparte'smarshalsintotheseathedayitpleaseshimtolifthisarm." "But,mydearsir,youcan'tbeseriousinwhatyousay.Bonaparte'smarshalsaregreatmen,whoactundertheguidanceofanomnipotentmaster-spirit.YourWellingtonisthemosthumdrumofcommonplacemartinets,whoseslow,mechanicalmovementsarefurthercrampedbyanignoranthomegovernment." "WellingtonisthesoulofEngland.Wellingtonistherightchampionofagoodcause,thefitrepresentativeofapowerful,aresolute,asensible,andanhonestnation." "Yourgoodcause,asfarasIunderstandit,issimplytherestorationofthatfilthy,feebleFerdinandtoathronewhichhedisgraced.Yourfitrepresentativeofanhonestpeopleisadull-witteddrover,actingforaduller-wittedfarmerandagainstthesearearrayedvictorioussupremacyandinvinciblegenius." "Againstlegitimacyisarrayedusurpationagainstmodest,single-minded,righteous,andbraveresistancetoencroachmentisarrayedboastful,double-tongued,selfish,andtreacherousambitiontopossess.Goddefendtheright!" "Godoftendefendsthepowerful." "What!IsupposethehandfulofIsraelitesstandingdryshodontheAsiaticsideoftheRedSeawasmorepowerfulthanthehostoftheEgyptiansdrawnupontheAfricanside?Weretheymorenumerous?Weretheybetterappointed?Weretheymoremighty,inaword—eh?Don'tspeak,oryou'lltellalie,Mooreyouknowyouwill.Theywereapoor,overwroughtbandofbondsmen.Tyrantshadoppressedthemthroughfourhundredyearsafeeblemixtureofwomenandchildrendilutedtheirthinrankstheirmasters,whoroaredtofollowthemthroughthedividedflood,wereasetofpamperedEthiops,aboutasstrongandbrutalasthelionsofLibya.Theywerearmed,horsed,andchariotedthepoorHebrewwandererswereafoot.Fewofthem,itislikely,hadbetterweaponsthantheirshepherds'crooksortheirmasons'building-toolstheirmeekandmightyleaderhimselfhadonlyhisrod.Butbethinkyou,RobertMoore,rightwaswiththemtheGodofbattleswasontheirside.CrimeandthelostarchangelgeneralledtheranksofPharaoh,andwhichtriumphed?Weknowthatwell.'TheLordsavedIsraelthatdayoutofthehandoftheEgyptians,