CHAPTER VI. CORIOLANUS.

uldnotstayheretendays,sneeredatasshewouldbebyalltheyoungcoquinesinyourfactory"thensoftening,"Youareverygood,dearbrother—excusemypetulance—buttrulymydomestictrialsaresevere,yettheyareprobablymydestinyforIrecollectthatourreveredmotherexperiencedsimilarsufferings,thoughshehadthechoiceofallthebestservantsinAntwerp.Domesticsareinallcountriesaspoiledandunrulyset." Mr.Moorehadalsocertainreminiscencesaboutthetrialsofhisreveredmother.Agoodmothershehadbeentohim,andhehonouredhermemorybutherecollectedthatshekeptahotkitchenofitinAntwerp,justashisfaithfulsisterdidhereinEngland.Thus,therefore,heletthesubjectdrop,andwhenthecoffee-servicewasremoved,proceededtoconsoleHortensebyfetchinghermusic-bookandguitarandhavingarrangedtheribbonoftheinstrumentroundherneckwithaquietfraternalkindnessheknewtobeall-powerfulinsoothinghermostruffledmoods,heaskedhertogivehimsomeoftheirmother'sfavouritesongs. Nothingrefineslikeaffection.Familyjarringvulgarizesfamilyunionelevates.Hortense,pleasedwithherbrother,andgratefultohim,looked,asshetouchedherguitar,almostgraceful,almosthandsomehereverydayfretfullookwasgoneforamoment,andwasreplacedbya"sourirepleindebonté."Shesangthesongsheaskedfor,withfeelingtheyremindedherofaparenttowhomshehadbeentrulyattachedtheyremindedherofheryoungdays.Sheobserved,too,thatCarolinelistenedwithna?veinterestthisaugmentedhergood-humourandtheexclamationatthecloseofthesong,"IwishIcouldsingandplaylikeHortense!"achievedthebusiness,andrenderedhercharmingfortheevening. ItistruealittlelecturetoCarolinefollowed,onthevanityofwishingandthedutyoftrying."AsRome,"itwassuggested,"hadnotbeenbuiltinaday,soneitherhadMademoiselleGérardMoore'seducationbeencompletedinaweek,orbymerelywishingtobeclever.Itwaseffortthathadaccomplishedthatgreatwork.Shewaseverremarkableforherperseverance,forherindustry.Hermastershadremarkedthatitwasasdelightfulasitwasuncommontofindsomuchtalentunitedwithsomuchsolidity,andsoon."Onceonthethemeofherownmerits,mademoisellewasfluent. Cradledatlastinblissfulself-complacency,shetookherknitting,andsatdowntranquil.Drawncurtains,aclearfire,asoftly-shininglamp,gavenowtothelittleparlouritsbest,itseveningcharm.Itisprobablethatthethreetherepresentfeltthischarm.Theyalllookedhappy. "Whatshallwedonow,Caroline?"askedMr.Moore,returningtohisseatbesidehiscousin. "Whatshallwedo,Robert?"repeatedsheplayfully."Youdecide." "Notplayatchess?" "No." "Nordraughts,norbackgammon?" "No,nowebothhatesilentgamesthatonlykeepone'shandsemployed,don'twe?" "Ibelievewedo.Thenshallwetalkscandal?" "Aboutwhom?Arewesufficientlyinterestedinanybodytotakeapleasureinpullingtheircharactertopieces?" "Aquestionthatcomestothepoint.Formypart,unamiableasitsounds,Imustsayno." "AndItoo.Butitisstrange,thoughwewantnothird—fourth,Imean(shehastilyandwithcontritionglancedatHortense),livingpersonamongus—soselfishweareinourhappiness—thoughwedon'twanttothinkofthepresentexistingworld,itwouldbepleasanttogobacktothepast,tohearpeoplethathavesleptforgenerationsingravesthatareperhapsnolongergravesnow,butgardensandfields,speaktousandtellustheirthoughts,andimparttheirideas." "Whoshallbethespeaker?Whatlanguageshallheutter?French?" "YourFrenchforefathersdon'tspeaksosweetly,norsosolemnly,norsoimpressivelyasyourEnglishancestors,Robert.To-nightyoushallbeentirelyEnglish.YoushallreadanEnglishbook." "AnoldEnglishbook?" "Yes,anoldEnglishbook—onethatyoulikeandIwillchooseapartofitthatistonedquiteinharmonywithsomethinginyou.Itshallwakenyournature,fillyourmindwithmusicitshallpasslikeaskilfulhandoveryourheart,andmakeitsstringssound.Yourheartisalyre,Robertbutthelotofyourlifehasnotbeenaminstreltosweepit,anditisoftensilent.LetgloriousWilliamcomenearandtouchit.YouwillseehowhewilldrawtheEnglishpowerandmelodyoutofitschords." "ImustreadShakespeare?" "Youmusthavehisspiritbeforeyouyoumusthearhisvoicewithyourmind'searyoumusttakesomeofhissoulintoyours." "Withaviewtomakingmebetter?Isittooperatelikeasermon?" "Itistostiryou,togiveyounewsensations.Itistomakeyoufeelyourlifestrongly—notonlyyourvirtues,butyourvicious,perversepoints." "Dieu!quedit-elle?"criedHortense,whohithertohadbeencountingstitchesinherknitting,andhadnotmuchattendedtowhatwassaid,butwhoseearthesetwostrongwordscaughtwithatweak. "Nevermindher,sisterlethertalk.Nowjustlethersayanythingshepleasesto-night.Shelikestocomedownharduponyourbrothersometimes.Itamusesme,soletheralone." Caroline,who,mountedonachair,hadbeenrummagingthebookcase,returnedwithabook. "Here'sShakespeare,"shesaid,"andthere's'Coriolanus.'Now,read,anddiscoverbythefeelingsthereadingwillgiveyouatoncehowlowandhowhighyouare." "Come,then,sitnearme,andcorrectwhenImispronounce." "Iamtobetheteacherthen,andyoumypupil?" "Ainsi,soit-il!" "AndShakespeareisourscience,sincewearegoingtostudy?" "Itappearsso." "AndyouarenotgoingtobeFrench,andsceptical,andsneering?Youarenotgoingtothinkitasignofwisdomtorefusetoadmire?" "Idon'tknow." "Ifyoudo,Robert,I'lltakeShakespeareawayandI'llshrivelupwithinmyself,andputonmybonnetandgohome." "Sitdown.HereIbegin." "Oneminute,ifyouplease,brother,"interruptedmademoiselle."Whenthegentlemanofafamilyreads,theladiesshouldalwayssew.—Caroline,dearchild,takeyourembroidery.Youmaygetthreesprigsdoneto-night." Carolinelookeddismayed."Ican'tseebylamp-lightmyeyesaretired,andIcan'tdotwothingswellatonce.IfIsew,IcannotlistenifIlisten,Icannotsew." "Fi,donc!Quelenfantillage!"beganHortense.Mr.Moore,asusual,suavelyinterposed. "Permithertoneglecttheembroideryforthisevening.Iwishherwholeattentiontobefixedonmyaccentandtoensurethis,shemustfollowthereadingwithhereyes—shemustlookatthebook." Heplaceditbetweenthem,reposedhisarmonthebackofCaroline'schair,andthusbegantoread. Theveryfirstscenein"Coriolanus"camewithsmartrelishtohisintellectualpalate,andstillashereadhewarmed.HedeliveredthehaughtyspeechofCaiusMarciustothestarvingcitizenswithunctionhedidnotsayhethoughthisirrationalprideright,butheseemedtofeelitso.Carolinelookedupathimwithasingularsmile. "There'saviciouspointhitalready,"shesaid."Yousympathizewiththatproudpatricianwhodoesnotsympathizewithhisfamishedfellow-men,andinsultsthem.There,goon."Heproceeded.Thewarlikeportionsdidnotrousehimmuchhesaidallthatwasoutofdate,orshouldbethespiritdisplayedwasbarbarousyettheencountersingle-handedbetweenMarciusandTullusAufidiushedelightedin.Asheadvanced,heforgottocriticiseitwasevidentheappreciatedthepower,thetruthofeachportionand,steppingoutofthenarrowlineofprivateprejudices,begantorevelinthelargepictureofhumannature,tofeeltherealitystampeduponthecharacterswhowerespeakingfromthatpagebeforehim. HedidnotreadthecomicsceneswellandCaroline,takingthebookoutofhishand,readthesepartsforhim.Fromherheseemedtoenjoythem,andindeedshegavethemwithaspiritnoonecouldhaveexpectedofher,withapithyexpressionwithwhichsheseemedgiftedonthespot,andforthatbriefmomentonly.Itmayberemarked,inpassing,thatthegeneralcharacterofherconversationthatevening,w