CHAPTER IV. MR. YORKE (continued).

AYorkshiregentlemanhewas,parexcellence,ineverypointaboutfifty-fiveyearsold,butlookingatfirstsightstillolder,forhishairwassilverwhite.Hisforeheadwasbroad,nothighhisfacefreshandhaletheharshnessofthenorthwasseeninhisfeatures,asitwasheardinhisvoiceeverytraitwasthoroughlyEnglish—notaNormanlineanywhereitwasaninelegant,unclassic,unaristocraticmouldofvisage.Finepeoplewouldperhapshavecalleditvulgarsensiblepeoplewouldhavetermeditcharacteristicshrewdpeoplewouldhavedelightedinitforthepith,sagacity,intelligence,therudeyetrealoriginalitymarkedineverylineament,latentineveryfurrow.Butitwasanindocile,ascornful,andasarcasticface—thefaceofamandifficulttolead,andimpossibletodrive.Hisstaturewasrathertall,andhewaswellmadeandwiry,andhadastatelyintegrityofporttherewasnotasuspicionoftheclownabouthimanywhere. IdidnotfinditeasytosketchMr.Yorke'sperson,butitismoredifficulttoindicatehismind.IfyouexpecttobetreatedtoaPerfection,reader,oreventoabenevolent,philanthropicoldgentlemaninhim,youaremistaken.HehasspokenwithsomesenseandwithsomegoodfeelingtoMr.Moore,butyouarenotthencetoconcludethathealwaysspokeandthoughtjustlyandkindly. Mr.Yorke,inthefirstplace,waswithouttheorganofveneration—agreatwant,andwhichthrowsamanwrongoneverypointwherevenerationisrequired.Secondly,hewaswithouttheorganofcomparison—adeficiencywhichstripsamanofsympathyandthirdly,hehadtoolittleoftheorgansofbenevolenceandideality,whichtookthegloryandsoftnessfromhisnature,andforhimdiminishedthosedivinequalitiesthroughouttheuniverse. Thewantofvenerationmadehimintoleranttothoseabovehim—kingsandnoblesandpriests,dynastiesandparliamentsandestablishments,withalltheirdoings,mostoftheirenactments,theirforms,theirrights,theirclaims,weretohimanabomination,allrubbishhefoundnouseorpleasureinthem,andbelieveditwouldbecleargain,andnodamagetotheworld,ifitshighplaceswererazed,andtheiroccupantscrushedinthefall.Thewantofveneration,too,madehimdeadathearttotheelectricdelightofadmiringwhatisadmirableitdriedupathousandpuresourcesofenjoymentitwitheredathousandvividpleasures.Hewasnotirreligious,thoughamemberofnosectbuthisreligioncouldnotbethatofonewhoknowshowtovenerate.HebelievedinGodandheavenbuthisGodandheavenwerethoseofamaninwhomawe,imagination,andtendernesslack. Theweaknessofhispowersofcomparisonmadehiminconsistentwhileheprofessedsomeexcellentgeneraldoctrinesofmutualtolerationandforbearance,hecherishedtowardscertainclassesabigotedantipathy.Hespokeof"parsons"andallwhobelongedtoparsons,of"lords"andtheappendagesoflords,withaharshness,sometimesaninsolence,asunjustasitwasinsufferable.Hecouldnotplacehimselfinthepositionofthosehevituperatedhecouldnotcomparetheirerrorswiththeirtemptations,theirdefectswiththeirdisadvantageshecouldnotrealizetheeffectofsuchandsuchcircumstancesonhimselfsimilarlysituated,andhewouldoftenexpressthemostferociousandtyrannicalwishesregardingthosewhohadacted,ashethought,ferociouslyandtyrannically.Tojudgebyhisthreats,hewouldhaveemployedarbitrary,evencruel,meanstoadvancethecauseoffreedomandequality.Equality!yes,Mr.Yorketalkedaboutequality,butathearthewasaproudman—veryfriendlytohisworkpeople,verygoodtoallwhowerebeneathhim,andsubmittedquietlytobebeneathhim,buthaughtyasBeelzebubtowhomsoevertheworlddeemed(forhedeemednoman)hissuperior.Revoltwasinhisblood:hecouldnotbearcontrolhisfather,hisgrandfatherbeforehim,couldnotbearit,andhischildrenafterhimnevercould. Thewantofgeneralbenevolencemadehimveryimpatientofimbecility,andofallfaultswhichgratedonhisstrong,shrewdnatureitleftnochecktohiscuttingsarcasm.Ashewasnotmerciful,hewouldsometimeswoundandwoundagain,withoutnoticinghowmuchhehurt,orcaringhowdeephethrust. Astothepaucityofidealityinhismind,thatcanscarcelybecalledafault:afineearformusic,acorrecteyeforcolourandform,lefthimthequalityoftasteandwhocaresforimagination?Whodoesnotthinkitaratherdangerous,senselessattribute,akintoweakness,perhapspartakingoffrenzy—adiseaseratherthanagiftofthemind? Probablyallthinkitsobutthosewhopossess,orfancytheypossess,it.Tohearthemspeak,youwouldbelievethattheirheartswouldbecoldifthatelixirdidnotflowaboutthem,thattheireyeswouldbedimifthatflamedidnotrefinetheir