CHAPTER IV. MR. YORKE (continued).

vision,thattheywouldbelonelyifthisstrangecompanionabandonedthem.Youwouldsupposethatitimpartedsomegladhopetospring,somefinecharmtosummer,sometranquiljoytoautumn,someconsolationtowinter,whichyoudonotfeel.Anillusion,ofcoursebutthefanaticsclingtotheirdream,andwouldnotgiveitforgold. AsMr.Yorkedidnotpossesspoeticimaginationhimself,heconsidereditamostsuperfluousqualityinothers.Paintersandmusicianshecouldtolerate,andevenencourage,becausehecouldrelishtheresultsoftheirarthecouldseethecharmofafinepicture,andfeelthepleasureofgoodmusicbutaquietpoet—whateverforcestruggled,whateverfireglowed,inhisbreast—ifhecouldnothaveplayedthemaninthecounting-house,ofthetradesmaninthePieceHall,mighthaveliveddespised,anddiedscorned,undertheeyesofHiramYorke. AndastherearemanyHiramYorkesintheworld,itiswellthatthetruepoet,quietexternallythoughhemaybe,hasoftenatruculentspiritunderhisplacidity,andisfullofshrewdnessinhismeekness,andcanmeasurethewholestatureofthosewholookdownonhim,andcorrectlyascertaintheweightandvalueofthepursuitstheydisdainhimfornothavingfollowed.Itishappythathecanhavehisownbliss,hisownsocietywithhisgreatfriendandgoddessNature,quiteindependentofthosewhofindlittlepleasureinhim,andinwhomhefindsnopleasureatall.Itisjustthatwhiletheworldandcircumstancesoftenturnadark,coldsidetohim—andproperly,too,becausehefirstturnsadark,cold,carelesssidetothem—heshouldbeabletomaintainafestalbrightnessandcherishingglowinhisbosom,whichmakesallbrightandgenialforhimwhilestrangers,perhaps,deemhisexistenceaPolarwinternevergladdenedbyasun.Thetruepoetisnotonewhittobepitied,andheisapttolaughinhissleevewhenanymisguidedsympathizerwhinesoverhiswrongs.Evenwhenutilitarianssitinjudgmentonhim,andpronouncehimandhisartuseless,hehearsthesentencewithsuchahardderision,suchabroad,deep,comprehensive,andmercilesscontemptoftheunhappyPhariseeswhopronounceit,thatheisrathertobechiddenthancondoledwith.These,however,arenotMr.Yorke'sreflections,anditiswithMr.Yorkewehaveatpresenttodo. Ihavetoldyousomeofhisfaults,reader:astohisgoodpoints,hewasoneofthemosthonourableandcapablemeninYorkshireeventhosewhodislikedhimwereforcedtorespecthim.Hewasmuchbelovedbythepoor,becausehewasthoroughlykindandveryfatherlytothem.Tohisworkmenhewasconsiderateandcordial.Whenhedismissedthemfromanoccupation,hewouldtrytosetthemontosomethingelse,or,ifthatwasimpossible,helpthemtoremovewiththeirfamiliestoadistrictwhereworkmightpossiblybehad.Itmustalsoberemarkedthatif,assometimeschanced,anyindividualamongsthis"hands"showedsignsofinsubordination,Yorke—who,likemanywhoabhorbeingcontrolled,knewhowtocontrolwithvigour—hadthesecretofcrushingrebellioninthegerm,oferadicatingitlikeabadweed,sothatitneverspreadordevelopedwithinthesphereofhisauthority.Suchbeingthehappystateofhisownaffairs,hefelthimselfatlibertytospeakwiththeutmostseverityofthosewhoweredifferentlysituated,toascribewhateverwasunpleasantintheirpositionentirelytotheirownfault,toseverhimselffromthemasters,andadvocatefreelythecauseoftheoperatives. Mr.Yorke'sfamilywasthefirstandoldestinthedistrictandhe,thoughnotthewealthiest,wasoneofthemostinfluentialmen.Hiseducationhadbeengood.Inhisyouth,beforetheFrenchRevolution,hehadtravelledontheContinent.HewasanadeptintheFrenchandItalianlanguages.Duringatwoyears'sojourninItalyhehadcollectedmanygoodpaintingsandtastefulrarities,withwhichhisresidencewasnowadorned.Hismanners,whenheliked,werethoseofafinishedgentlemanoftheoldschoolhisconversation,whenhewasdisposedtoplease,wassingularlyinterestingandoriginalandifheusuallyexpressedhimselfintheYorkshiredialect,itwasbecausehechosetodoso,preferringhisnativeDorictoamorerefinedvocabulary,"AYorkshireburr,"heaffirmed,"wasasmuchbetterthanacockney'slispasabull'sbellowthanaraton'ssqueak." Mr.Yorkekneweveryone,andwasknownbyeveryone,formilesroundyethisintimateacquaintanceswereveryfew.Himselfthoroughlyoriginal,hehadnotasteforwhatwasordinary:aracy,roughcharacter,highorlow,everfoundacceptancewithhimarefined,insipidpersonage,howeverexaltedinstation,washisaversion.Hewouldspendanhouranytimeintalkingfreelywithashrewdworkmanofhisown,orwithsomequeer,sagaciousoldwomanamongsthiscottagers,whenhewoul