CHAPTER VIII. NOAH AND MOSES.

shefoundout?" "I'lltellyou,sir,"saidJoe."T'maister'snotsofondoftalking.I'venoobjections.HecourtedSarah,Mr.Moore'ssarvantlass,andsoitseemsshewouldhavenothingtosaytohimsheeitherdidn'tlikehiswoodenlegorshe'dsomenotionabouthisbeingahypocrite.Happen(forwomenisqueerhandswemaysaythatamangwerselnwhenthere'snoneof'emnigh)she'dhaveencouragedhim,inspiteofhislegandhisdeceit,justtopasstimelike.I'veknownsomeon'emdoasmich,andsomeo't'bonniestandmimmest-looking,too—ay,I'veseenclean,trimyoungthings,thatlookedasdentyandpureasdaisies,andwi'timeabodyfun''emouttobenowtbutstinging,venomednettles." "Joe'sasensiblefellow,"interjectedHelstone. "Howsiver,Sarahhadanotherstringtoherbow.FredMurgatroyd,oneofourlads,isforherandaswomenjudgemenbytheirfaces—andFredhasamiddlingface,whileMosesisnonesohandsome,asweallknaw—thelasstookonwi'Fred.Atwo-threemonthssin',MurgatroydandMoseschancedtomeetoneSundaynightthey'dbothcomelurkingaboutthesepremiseswi'thenotionofcounsellingSarahtotakabitofawalkwi'them.Theyfellout,hadatussle,andFredwasworsted,forhe'syoungandsmall,andBarraclough,forallhehasonlyoneleg,isalmostasstrongasSugdenthere—indeed,anybodythathearshimroaringatarevivaloralove-feastmaybesurehe'snoweakling." "Joe,you'reinsupportable,"herebrokeinMr.Moore."YouspinoutyourexplanationasMosesspinsouthissermons.Thelongandshortofitis,MurgatroydwasjealousofBarracloughandlastnight,asheandafriendtookshelterinabarnfromashower,theyheardandsawMosesconferringwithsomeassociateswithin.Fromtheirdiscourseitwasplainhehadbeentheleader,notonlyatStilbro'Moor,butintheattackonSykes'sproperty.Moreovertheyplannedadeputationtowaitonmethismorning,whichthetailoristohead,andwhich,inthemostreligiousandpeacefulspirit,istoentreatmetoputtheaccursedthingoutofmytent.IrodeovertoWhinburythismorning,gotaconstableandawarrant,andIamnowwaitingtogivemyfriendthereceptionhedeserves.Here,meantime,comesSykes.Mr.Helstone,youmustspirithimup.Hefeelstimidatthethoughtsofprosecuting." Agigwasheardtorollintotheyard.Mr.Sykesentered—atallstoutmanofaboutfifty,comelyoffeature,butfeebleofphysiognomy.Helookedanxious. "Havetheybeen?Aretheygone?Haveyougothim?Isitover?"heasked. "Notyet,"returnedMoorewithphlegm."Wearewaitingforthem." "They'llnotcomeit'snearnoon.Bettergiveitup.Itwillexcitebadfeeling—makeastir—causeperhapsfatalconsequences." "Youneednotappear,"saidMoore."Ishallmeetthemintheyardwhentheycomeyoucanstayhere." "Butmynamemustbeseeninthelawproceedings.Awifeandfamily,Mr.Moore—awifeandfamilymakeamancautious." Moorelookeddisgusted."Giveway,ifyouplease,"saidhe"leavemetomyself.Ihavenoobjectiontoactaloneonlybeassuredyouwillnotfindsafetyinsubmission.YourpartnerPearsongaveway,andconceded,andforbore.Well,thatdidnotpreventthemfromattemptingtoshoothiminhisownhouse." "Mydearsir,takealittlewineandwater,"recommendedMr.Helstone.Thewineandwaterwashollandsandwater,asMr.Sykesdiscoveredwhenhehadcompoundedandswallowedabrimmingtumblerthereof.Ittransfiguredhimintwominutes,broughtthecolourbacktohisface,andmadehimatleastword-valiant.Henowannouncedthathehopedhewasabovebeingtrampledonbythecommonpeoplehewasdeterminedtoenduretheinsolenceoftheworking-classesnolongerhehadconsideredofit,andmadeuphismindtogoalllengthsifmoneyandspiritcouldputdowntheserioters,theyshouldbeputdownMr.Mooremightdoasheliked,buthe—ChristieSykes—wouldspendhislastpennyinlawbeforehewouldbebeatenhe'dsettlethem,orhe'dsee. "Takeanotherglass,"urgedMoore. Mr.Sykesdidn'tmindifhedid.Thiswasacoldmorning(Sugdenhadfounditawarmone)itwasnecessarytobecarefulatthisseasonoftheyear—itwaspropertotakesomethingtokeepthedampouthehadalittlecoughalready(herehecoughedinattestationofthefact)somethingofthissort(liftingtheblackbottle)wasexcellent,takenmedicinally(hepouredthephysicintohistumbler)hedidn'tmakeapracticeofdrinkingspiritsinamorning,butoccasionallyitreallywasprudenttotakeprecautions. "Quiteprudent,andtakethembyallmeans,"urgedthehost. Mr.SykesnowaddressedMr.Helstone,whostoodonthehearth,hisshovel-hatonhishead,watchinghimsignificantlywithhislittle,keeneyes. "You,sir,asaclergyman,"saidhe,"mayfeelitdisagreeabletobepresentamidstscenesofhurryandflurry,and,Imaysay,peril.Idaresayyournerveswon'tstandit.You'reamanofpeace,sirbutwemanufacturers,livingintheworld,andalwaysinturmoil,getquitebelligerent.Really,there'sanardourexcitedbythethoughtsofdangerthatmakesmyheartpant.WhenMrs.Sykesisafraidofthehousebeingattackedandbrokeopen—assheiseverynight—Igetquiteexcited.Icouldn'tdescribetoyou,sir,myfeelings.Really,ifanybodywastocome—thievesoranything—IbelieveIshouldenjoyit,suchismyspirit." Thehardestoflaughs,thoughbriefandlow,andbynomeansinsulting,wastheresponseoftherector.Moorewouldhavepressedupontheheroicmill-ownerathirdtumbler,buttheclergyman,whonevertransgressed,norwouldsufferothersinhispresencetotransgress,theboundsofdecorum,checkedhim. "Enoughisasgoodasafeast,isitnot,Mr.Sykes?"hesaidandMr.Sykesassented,andthensatandwatchedJoeScottremovethebottleatasignfromHelstone,withaself-satisfiedsimperonhislipsandaregretfulglisteninhiseye.Moorelookedasifheshouldhavelikedtofoolhimtothetopofhisbent.Whatwouldacertainyoungkinswomanofhishavesaidcouldshehaveseenherdear,good,greatRobert—herCoriolanus—justnow?Wouldshehaveacknowledgedinthatmischievous,sardonicvisagethesamefacetowhichshehadlookedupwithsuchlove,whichhadbentoverherwithsuchgentlenesslastnight?Wasthatthemanwhohadspentsoquietaneveningwithhissisterandhiscousin—sosuavetoone,sotendertotheother—readingShakespeareandlisteningtoChénier? Yes,itwasthesameman,onlyseenonadifferentside—asideCarolinehadnotyetfairlybeheld,t