CHAPTER VI. CORIOLANUS.

anedherarmandheadagainstthekitchenmantelpiece,andhunglistlesslyoverthefire. "Howlowyouseem,miss!Butit'sallbecauseyourcousinkeepsyousoclosetowork.It'sashame!" "Nothingofthekind,Sarah,"wasthebriefreply. "Oh!butIknowitis.You'refittocryjustthisminute,fornothingelsebutbecauseyou'vesatstillthewholeday.Itwouldmakeakittendulltobemewedupso." "Sarah,doesyourmasteroftencomehomeearlyfrommarketwhenitiswet?" "Never,hardlybutjustto-day,forsomereason,hehasmadeadifference." "Whatdoyoumean?" "Heiscome.IamcertainIsawMurgatroydleadhishorseintotheyardbytheback-way,whenIwenttogetsomewateratthepumpfiveminutessince.Hewasinthecounting-housewithJoeScott,Ibelieve." "Youaremistaken." "WhatshouldIbemistakenfor?Iknowhishorsesurely?" "Butyoudidnotseehimself?" "Iheardhimspeak,though.HewassayingsomethingtoJoeScottabouthavingsettledallconcerningwaysandmeans,andthattherewouldbeanewsetofframesinthemillbeforeanotherweekpassed,andthatthistimehewouldgetfoursoldiersfromStilbro'barrackstoguardthewagon." "Sarah,areyoumakingagown?" "Yes.Isitahandsomeone?" "Beautiful!Getthecoffeeready.I'llfinishcuttingoutthatsleeveforyou,andI'llgiveyousometrimmingforit.Ihavesomenarrowsatinribbonofacolourthatwilljustmatchit." "You'reverykind,miss." "Bequickthere'sagoodgirl.Butfirstputyourmaster'sshoesonthehearth:hewilltakehisbootsoffwhenhecomesin.Ihearhimheiscoming." "Miss,youarecuttingthestuffwrong." "SoIambutitisonlyasnip.Thereisnoharmdone." ThekitchendooropenedMr.Mooreentered,verywetandcold.Carolinehalfturnedfromherdressmakingoccupation,butreneweditforamoment,asiftogainaminute'stimeforsomepurpose.Bentoverthedress,herfacewashiddentherewasanattempttosettleherfeaturesandveiltheirexpression,whichfailed.WhensheatlastmetMr.Moore,hercountenancebeamed. "Wehadceasedtoexpectyou.Theyassertedyouwouldnotcome,"shesaid. "ButIpromisedtoreturnsoon.Youexpectedme,Isuppose?" "No,RobertIdarednotwhenitrainedsofast.Andyouarewetandchilled.Changeeverything.Ifyoutookcold,Ishould—weshouldblameourselvesinsomemeasure." "Iamnotwetthrough:myriding-coatiswaterproof.DryshoesareallIrequire.There—thefireispleasantafterfacingthecoldwindandrainforafewmiles." HestoodonthekitchenhearthCarolinestoodbesidehim.Mr.Moore,whileenjoyingthegenialglow,kepthiseyesdirectedtowardstheglitteringbrassesontheshelfabove.Chancingforaninstanttolookdown,hisglancerestedonanupliftedface,flushed,smiling,happy,shadedwithsilkycurls,litwithfineeyes.Sarahwasgoneintotheparlourwiththetrayalecturefromhermistressdetainedherthere.Mooreplacedhishandamomentonhisyoungcousin'sshoulder,stooped,andleftakissonherforehead. "Oh!"saidshe,asiftheactionhadunsealedherlips,"IwasmiserablewhenIthoughtyouwouldnotcome.Iamalmosttoohappynow.Areyouhappy,Robert?Doyouliketocomehome?" "IthinkIdo—to-night,atleast." "Areyoucertainyouarenotfrettingaboutyourframes,andyourbusiness,andthewar?" "Notjustnow." "Areyoupositiveyoudon'tfeelHollow'sCottagetoosmallforyou,andnarrow,anddismal?" "Atthismoment,no." "Canyouaffirmthatyouarenotbitteratheartbecauserichandgreatpeopleforgetyou?" "Nomorequestions.YouaremistakenifyouthinkIamanxioustocurryfavourwithrichandgreatpeople.Ionlywantmeans—aposition—acareer." "Whichyourowntalentandgoodnessshallwinyou.Youweremadetobegreatyoushallbegreat." "Iwondernow,ifyouspokehonestlyoutofyourheart,whatrecipeyouwouldgivemeforacquiringthissamegreatnessbutIknowit—betterthanyouknowityourself.Woulditbeefficacious?Woulditwork?Yes—poverty,misery,bankruptcy.Oh,lifeisnotwhatyouthinkit,Lina!" "ButyouarewhatIthinkyou." "Iamnot." "Youarebetter,then?" "Farworse." "Nofarbetter.Iknowyouaregood." "Howdoyouknowit?" "Youlookso,andIfeelyouareso." "Wheredoyoufeelit?" "Inmyheart." "Ah!Youjudgemewithyourheart,Lina:youshouldjudgemewithyourhead." "IdoandthenIamquiteproudofyou.Robert,youcannottellallmythoughtsaboutyou." Mr.Moore'sdarkfacemusteredcolourhislipssmiled,andyetwerecompressedhiseyeslaughed,andyetheresolutelyknithisbrow. "Thinkmeanlyofme,Lina,"saidhe."Men,ingeneral,areasortofscum,verydifferenttoanythingofwhichyouhaveanidea.Imakenopretensiontobebetterthanmyfellows." "Ifyoudid,Ishouldnotesteemyousomuch.ItisbecauseyouaremodestthatIhavesuchconfidenceinyourmerit." "Areyouflatteringme?"hedemanded,turningsharplyuponher,andsearchingherfacewithaneyeofacutepenetration. "No,"shesaidsoftly,laughingathissuddenquickness.Sheseemedtothinkitunnecessarytoprofferanyeagerdisavowalofthecharge. "Youdon'tcarewhetherIthinkyouflattermeornot?" "No." "Youaresosecureofyourownintentions?" "Isupposeso." "Whatarethey,Caroline?" "OnlytoeasemymindbyexpressingforoncepartofwhatIthink,andthentomakeyoubettersatisfiedwithyourself." "Byassuringmethatmykinswomanismysincerefriend?" "Justso.Iamyoursincerefriend,Robert." "AndIam—whatchanceandchangeshallmakeme,Lina." "Notmyenemy,however?" TheanswerwascutshortbySarahandhermistressenteringthekitchentogetherinsomecommotion.TheyhadbeenimprovingthetimewhichMr.MooreandMissHelstonehadspentindialoguebyashortdisputeonthesubjectof"caféaulait,"whichSarahsaidwasthequeerestmesssheeversaw,andawasteofGod'sgoodgifts,asitwas"thenatureofcoffeetobeboiledinwater,"andwhichmademoiselleaffirmedtobe"unbreuvageroyal,"athousandtimestoogoodforthemeanpersonwhoobjectedtoit. Theformeroccupantsofthekitchennowwithdrewintotheparlour.BeforeHortensefollowedthemthither,Carolinehadonlytimeagaintoquestion,"Notmyenemy,Robert?"AndMoore,Quaker-like,hadrepliedwithanotherquery,"CouldIbe?"Andthen,seatinghimselfatthetable,hadsettledCarolineathisside. Carolinescarcelyheardmademoiselle'sexplosionofwrathwhensherejoinedthemthelongdeclamationaboutthe"conduiteindignedecetteméchantecréature"soundedinherearasconfusedlyastheagitatedrattlingofthechina.Robertlaughedalittleatit,inverysubduedsort,andthen,politelyandcalmlyentreatinghissistertobetranquil,assuredherthatifitwouldyieldheranysatisfaction,sheshouldhaveherchoiceofanattendantamongstallthegirlsinhismill.Onlyhefearedtheywouldscarcelysuither,astheyweremostofthem,hewasinformed,completelyignorantofhouseholdworkandpertandself-willedasSarahwas,shewas,perhaps,noworsethanthemajorityofthewomenofherclass. Mademoiselleadmittedthetruthofthisconjecture:accordingtoher,"cespaysannesanglaisesétaienttoutinsupportables."Whatwouldshenotgiveforsome"bonnecuisinièreanversoise,"withthehighcap,shortpetticoat,anddecentsabotspropertoherclass—somethingbetter,indeed,thananinsolentcoquetteinaflouncedgown,andabsolutelywithoutcap!(ForSarah,itappears,didnotpartaketheopinionofSt.Paulthat"itisashameforawomantogowithherheaduncovered"but,holdingratheracontrarydoctrine,resolutelyrefusedtoimprisoninlinenormuslintheplentifultressesofheryellowhair,whichitwasherwonttofastenupsmartlywithacombbehind,andonSundaystowearcurledinfront.) "ShallItryandgetyouanAntwerpgirl?"askedMr.Moore,who,sterninpublic,wasonthewholeverykindinprivate. "Merciducadeau!"wastheanswer."AnAntwerpgirlwo