CHAPTER VIII. NOAH AND MOSES.

ThenextdayMoorehadrisenbeforethesun,andhadtakenaridetoWhinburyandbackerehissisterhadmadethecaféaulaitorcutthetartinesforhisbreakfast.Whatbusinesshetransactedtherehekepttohimself.Hortenseaskednoquestions:itwasnotherwonttocommentonhismovements,norhistorenderanaccountofthem.Thesecretsofbusiness—complicatedandoftendismalmysteries—wereburiedinhisbreast,andnevercameoutoftheirsepulchresavenowandthentoscareJoeScott,orgiveastarttosomeforeigncorrespondent.Indeed,ageneralhabitofreserveonwhateverwasimportantseemedbredinhismercantileblood. Breakfastover,hewenttohiscounting-house.Henry,JoeScott'sboy,broughtinthelettersandthedailypapersMooreseatedhimselfathisdesk,brokethesealsofthedocuments,andglancedthemover.Theywereallshort,butnot,itseemed,sweet—probablyrathersour,onthecontrary,forasMoorelaiddownthelast,hisnostrilsemittedaderisiveanddefiantsnuff,andthoughheburstintonosoliloquy,therewasaglanceinhiseyewhichseemedtoinvokethedevil,andlaychargesonhimtosweepthewholeconcerntoGehenna.However,havingchosenapenandstrippedawaythefeatheredtopinabriefspasmoffinger-fury(onlyfinger-fury—hisfacewasplacid),hedashedoffabatchofanswers,sealedthem,andthenwentoutandwalkedthroughthemill.Oncomingbackhesatdowntoreadhisnewspaper. Thecontentsseemednotabsorbinglyinterestinghemorethanoncelaiditacrosshisknee,foldedhisarms,andgazedintothefireheoccasionallyturnedhisheadtowardsthewindowhelookedatintervalsathiswatchinshort,hismindappearedpreoccupied.Perhapshewasthinkingofthebeautyoftheweather—foritwasafineandmildmorningfortheseason—andwishingtobeoutinthefieldsenjoyingit.Thedoorofhiscounting-housestoodwideopen.Thebreezeandsunshineenteredfreelybutthefirstvisitantbroughtnospringperfumeonitswings,onlyanoccasionalsulphur-pufffromthesoot-thickcolumnofsmokerushingsablefromthegauntmill-chimney. Adark-blueapparition(thatofJoeScott,freshfromadyeingvat)appearedmomentarilyattheopendoor,utteredthewords"He'scomed,sir,"andvanished. Mr.Mooreraisednothiseyesfromthepaper.Alargeman,broad-shoulderedandmassive-limbed,cladinfustiangarmentsandgrayworstedstockings,entered,whowasreceivedwithanod,anddesiredtotakeaseat,whichhedid,makingtheremark,asheremovedhishat(averybadone),stoweditawayunderhischair,andwipedhisforeheadwithaspottedcottonhandkerchiefextractedfromthehat-crown,thatitwas"raightdahnwarmforFebewerry."Mr.Mooreassented—atleastheutteredsomeslightsound,which,thoughinarticulate,mightpassforanassent.Thevisitornowcarefullydepositedinthecornerbesidehimanofficial-lookingstaffwhichheboreinhishandthisdone,hewhistled,probablybywayofappearingathisease. "Youhavewhatisnecessary,Isuppose?"saidMr.Moore. "Ay,ay!all'sright." Herenewedhiswhistling,Mr.Moorehisreading.Thepaperapparentlyhadbecomemoreinteresting.Presently,however,heturnedtohiscupboard,whichwaswithinreachofhislongarm,openeditwithoutrising,tookoutablackbottle—thesamehehadproducedforMalone'sbenefit—atumbler,andajug,placedthemonthetable,andsaidtohisguest,— "Helpyourselfthere'swaterinthatjarinthecorner." "Idunnutknawthatthere'smichneed,forallabodyisdry(thirsty)inamorning,"saidthefustiangentleman,risinganddoingasrequested. "Willyoutaknaughtyourseln,Mr.Moore?"heinquired,aswithskilledhandhemixedaportion,andhavingtesteditbyadeepdraught,sankbacksatisfiedandblandinhisseat.Moore,charyofwords,repliedbyanegativemovementandmurmur. "Yah'dasgood,"continuedhisvisitor"it'uldsetyeupwaldasupo'thisstuff.Uncommongoodhollands.Yegetitfro'furrinparts,I'sethink?" "Ay!" "Takmyadviceandtryaglasson't.Themlads'at'scoming'llkeepyetalking,nob'dyknowshowlong.Ye'llneedpropping." "HaveyouseenMr.Sykesthismorning?"inquiredMoore. "Iseedhimahaufanhour—nay,happenaquarterofanhoursin',justaforeIsetoff.Hesaidheaimedtocomehere,andIsudn'twonderbutye'llhaveoldHelstonetoo.Iseed'emsaddlinghislittlenagasIpassedatbacko't'rectory." Thespeakerwasatrueprophet,forthetrotofalittlenag'shoofswas,fiveminutesafter,heardintheyard.Itstopped,andawell-knownnasalvoicecriedaloud,"Boy"(probablyaddressingHarryScott,whousuallyhungaboutthepremisesfrom9a.m.to5p.m.),"takemyhorseandleadhimintothestable." Helstonecameinmarchingnimblyanderect,lookingbrowner,keener,andlivelierthanusual. "Beautifulmorning,Moore.Howdo,myboy?Ha!whomhavewehere?"(turningtothepersonagewiththestaff)."Sugden!What!you'regoingtoworkdirectly?Onmyword,youlosenotime.ButIcometoaskexplanations.Yourmessagewasdeliveredtome.Areyousureyouareontherightscent?Howdoyoumeantosetaboutthebusiness?Haveyougotawarrant?" "Sugdenhas." "Thenyouaregoingtoseekhimnow?I'llaccompanyyou." "Youwillbesparedthattrouble,sirheiscomingtoseekme.I'mjustnowsittinginstatewaitinghisarrival." "Andwhoisit?Oneofmyparishioners?" JoeScotthadenteredunobserved.Henowstood,amostsinisterphantom,halfhispersonbeingdyedofthedeepesttintofindigo,leaningonthedesk.Hismaster'sanswertotherector'squestionwasasmile.Joetooktheword.Puttingonaquietbutpawkylook,hesaid,— "It'safriendofyours,Mr.Helstone,agentlemanyouoftenspeakof." "Indeed!Hisname,Joe?Youlookwellthismorning." "OnlytheRev.MosesBarraclought'tuboratoryoucallhimsometimes,Ithink." "Ah!"saidtherector,takingouthissnuff-box,andadministeringtohimselfaverylongpinch—"ah!couldn'thavesupposedit.Why,thepiousmanneverwasaworkmanofyours,Moore.He'satailorbytrade." "AndsomuchtheworsegrudgeIowehim,forinterferingandsettingmydiscardedmenagainstme." "AndMoseswasactuallypresentatthebattleofStilbro'Moor?Hewentthere,woodenlegandall?" "Ay,sir,"saidJoe"hewentthereonhorseback,thathislegmightn'tbenoticed.Hewasthecaptain,andworeamask.Therestonlyhadtheirfacesblackened." "Andhowwa