CHAPTER IV. MR. YORKE (continued).

dhavegrudgedamomenttoacommonplacefinegentlemanortothemostfashionableandelegant,iffrivolous,lady.Hispreferencesonthesepointshecarriedtoanextreme,forgettingthattheremaybeamiableandevenadmirablecharactersamongstthosewhocannotbeoriginal.Yethemadeexceptionstohisownrule.Therewasacertainorderofmind,plain,ingenuous,neglectingrefinement,almostdevoidofintellectuality,andquiteincapableofappreciatingwhatwasintellectualinhim,butwhich,atthesametime,neverfeltdisgustathisrudeness,wasnoteasilywoundedbyhissarcasm,didnotcloselyanalyzehissayings,doings,oropinions,withwhichhewaspeculiarlyatease,and,consequently,whichhepeculiarlypreferred.Hewaslordamongstsuchcharacters.They,whilesubmittingimplicitlytohisinfluence,neveracknowledged,becausetheyneverreflectedon,hissuperioritytheywerequitetractable,therefore,withoutrunningthesmallestdangerofbeingservileandtheirunthinking,easy,artlessinsensibilitywasasacceptable,becauseasconvenient,toMr.Yorkeasthatofthechairhesaton,orofthefloorhetrod. ItwillhavebeenobservedthathewasnotquiteuncordialwithMr.Moore.Hehadtwoorthreereasonsforentertainingafaintpartialitytothatgentleman.Itmaysoundodd,butthefirstofthesewasthatMoorespokeEnglishwithaforeign,andFrenchwithaperfectlypure,accentandthathisdark,thinface,withitsfinethoughratherwastedlines,hadamostanti-Britishandanti-Yorkshirelook.Thesepointsseemfrivolous,unlikelytoinfluenceacharacterlikeYorke'sbutthefactistheyrecalledold,perhapspleasurable,associations—theybroughtbackhistravelling,hisyouthfuldays.Hehadseen,amidstItaliancitiesandscenes,faceslikeMoore'shehadheard,inParisiancafésandtheatres,voiceslikehis.Hewasyoungthen,andwhenhelookedatandlistenedtothealien,heseemedyoungagain. Secondly,hehadknownMoore'sfather,andhadhaddealingswithhim.Thatwasamoresubstantial,thoughbynomeansamoreagreeabletieforashisfirmhadbeenconnectedwithMoore'sinbusiness,ithadalso,insomemeasure,beenimplicatedinitslosses. Thirdly,hehadfoundRoberthimselfasharpmanofbusiness.Hesawreasontoanticipatethathewould,intheend,byonemeansoranother,makemoneyandherespectedbothhisresolutionandacuteness—perhaps,also,hishardness.AfourthcircumstancewhichdrewthemtogetherwasthatofMr.YorkebeingoneoftheguardiansoftheminoronwhoseestateHollow'sMillwassituatedconsequentlyMoore,inthecourseofhisalterationsandimprovements,hadfrequentoccasiontoconsulthim. AstotheotherguestnowpresentinMr.Yorke'sparlour,Mr.Helstone,betweenhimandhishostthereexistedadoubleantipathy—theantipathyofnatureandthatofcircumstances.Thefree-thinkerhatedtheformalisttheloveroflibertydetestedthedisciplinarian.Besides,itwassaidthatinformeryearstheyhadbeenrivalsuitorsofthesamelady. Mr.Yorke,asageneralrule,was,whenyoung,notedforhispreferenceofsprightlyanddashingwomen:ashowyshapeandair,alivelywit,areadytongue,chieflyseemedtoattracthim.Henever,however,proposedtoanyofthesebrilliantbelleswhosesocietyhesoughtandallatonceheseriouslyfellinlovewithandeagerlywooedagirlwhopresentedacompletecontrasttothosehehadhithertonoticed—agirlwiththefaceofaMadonnaagirloflivingmarble—stillnesspersonified.Nomatterthat,whenhespoketoher,sheonlyansweredhiminmonosyllablesnomatterthathissighsseemedunheard,thathisglanceswereunreturned,thatsheneverrespondedtohisopinions,rarelysmiledathisjests,paidhimnorespectandnoattentionnomatterthatsheseemedtheoppositeofeverythingfemininehehadeverinhiswholelifebeenknowntoadmire.ForhimMaryCavewasperfect,becausesomehow,forsomereason—nodoubthehadareason—helovedher. Mr.Helstone,atthattimecurateofBriarfield,lovedMarytoo—or,atanyrate,hefanciedher.Severalothersadmiredher,forshewasbeautifulasamonumentalangelbuttheclergymanwaspreferredforhisoffice'ssake—thatofficeprobablyinvestinghimwithsomeoftheillusionnecessarytoalluretothecommissionofmatrimony,andwhichMissCavedidnotfindinanyoftheyoungwool-staplers,herotheradorers.Mr.Helstoneneitherhad,norprofessedtohave,Mr.Yorke'sabsorbingpassionforher.Hehadnoneofthehumblereverencewhichseemedtosubduemostofhersuitorshesawhermoreasshereallywasthantherestdid.Hewas,consequently,moremasterofherandhimself.Sheacceptedhimatthefirstoffer,andtheyweremarried. NatureneverintendedMr.Helstonetomakeaverygoodhusband,especi