CHAPTER IX. BRIARMAINS.

houlders,butnotoverwhelming,inevitablecare,ratherthesortofvoluntary,exemplarycloudandburdenpeopleevercarrywhodeemittheirdutytobegloomy.Ah,well-a-day!Mrs.Yorkehadthatnotion,andgraveasSaturnshewas,morning,noon,and,nightandhardthingsshethoughtifanyunhappywight—especiallyofthefemalesex—whodaredinherpresencetoshowthelightofagayheartonasunnycountenance.Inherestimation,tobemirthfulwastobeprofane,tobecheerfulwastobefrivolous.Shedrewnodistinctions.Yetshewasaverygoodwife,averycarefulmother,lookedafterherchildrenunceasingly,wassincerelyattachedtoherhusbandonlytheworstofitwas,ifshecouldhavehadherwill,shewouldnothavepermittedhimtohaveanyfriendintheworldbesideherself.Allhisrelationswereinsupportabletoher,andshekeptthematarm'slength. Mr.Yorkeandsheagreedperfectlywell,yethewasnaturallyasocial,hospitableman,anadvocateforfamilyunityandinhisyouth,ashasbeensaid,helikednonebutlively,cheerfulwomen.Whyhechoseher,howtheycontrivedtosuiteachother,isaproblempuzzlingenough,butwhichmightsoonbesolvedifonehadtimetogointotheanalysisofthecase.SufficeitheretosaythatYorkehadashadowysideaswellasasunnysidetohischaracter,andthathisshadowysidefoundsympathyandaffinityinthewholeofhiswife'suniformlyovercastnature.Fortherest,shewasastrong-mindedwomanneversaidaweakoratritethingtookstern,democraticviewsofsociety,andrathercynicalonesofhumannatureconsideredherselfperfectandsafe,andtherestoftheworldallwrong.Hermainfaultwasabrooding,eternal,immitigablesuspicionofallmen,things,creeds,andpartiesthissuspicionwasamistbeforehereyes,afalseguideinherpath,wherevershelooked,whereversheturned. Itmaybesupposedthatthechildrenofsuchapairwerenotlikelytoturnoutquiteordinary,commonplacebeingsandtheywerenot.Youseesixofthem,reader.Theyoungestisababyonthemother'sknee.Itisallherownyet,andthatoneshehasnotyetbeguntodoubt,suspect,condemnitderivesitssustenancefromher,ithangsonher,itclingstoher,itlovesheraboveeverythingelseintheworld.Sheissureofthat,because,asitlivesbyher,itcannotbeotherwise,thereforeshelovesit. Thetwonextaregirls,RoseandJessytheyarebothnowattheirfather'skneetheyseldomgoneartheirmother,exceptwhenobligedtodoso.Rose,theelder,istwelveyearsoldsheislikeherfather—themostlikehimofthewholegroup—butitisagraniteheadcopiedinivoryallissoftenedincolourandline.Yorkehimselfhasaharshface—hisdaughter'sisnotharsh,neitherisitquiteprettyitissimple,childlikeinfeaturetheroundcheeksbloom:astothegrayeyes,theyareotherwisethanchildlikeaserioussoullightsthem—ayoungsoulyet,butitwillmature,ifthebodylivesandneitherfathernormotherhaveaspirittocomparewithit.Partakingoftheessenceofeach,itwillonedaybebetterthaneither—stronger,muchpurer,moreaspiring.Roseisastill,sometimesastubborn,girlnow.Hermotherwantstomakeofhersuchawomanassheisherself—awomanofdarkanddrearydutiesandRosehasamindfull-set,thick-sownwiththegermsofideashermotherneverknew.Itisagonytoheroftentohavetheseideastrampledonandrepressed.Shehasneverrebelledyetbutifharddriven,shewillrebeloneday,andthenitwillbeonceforall.Roselovesherfather:herfatherdoesnotruleherwitharodofironheisgoodtoher.Hesometimesfearsshewillnotlive,sobrightarethesparksofintelligencewhich,atmoments,flashfromherglanceandgleaminherlanguage.Thisideamakeshimoftensadlytendertoher. HehasnoideathatlittleJessywilldieyoung,sheissogayandchattering,arch,originalevennowpassionatewhenprovoked,butmostaffectionateifcaressedbyturnsgentleandrattlingexacting,yetgenerousfearless—ofhermother,forinstance,whoseirrationallyhardandstrictruleshehasoftendefied—yetreliantonanywhowillhelpher.Jessy,withherlittlepiquantface,engagingprattle,andwinningways,ismadetobeapet,andherfather'spetsheaccordinglyis.Itisoddthatthedollshouldresemblehermotherfeaturebyfeature,asRoseresemblesherfather,andyetthephysiognomy—howdifferent! Mr.Yorke,ifamagicmirrorwerenowheldbeforeyou,andifthereinwereshownyouyourtwodaughtersastheywillbetwentyyearsfromthisnight,whatwouldyouthink?Themagicmirrorishere:youshalllearntheirdestinies—andfirstthatofyourlittlelife,Jessy. Doyouknowthisplace?No,youneversawitbutyourecognizethenatureofthesetrees,thisfoliage—thecypress,thewillow,theyew.Stonecrosseslikethesearenotunfamiliartoyou,norarethesedimgarlandsofeverlastingflowers.Hereistheplace—greensodandagraymarbleheadstone.Jessysleepsbelow.ShelivedthroughanAprildaymuchlovedwasshe,muchloving.Sheoften,inherbrieflife,shedtears,shehadfrequentsorrowsshesmiledbetween,gladdeningwhateversawher.HerdeathwastranquilandhappyinRose'sguardianarms,forRosehadbeenherstayanddefencethroughmanytrials.ThedyingandthewatchingEnglishgirlswereatthathouraloneinaforeigncountry,andthesoilofthatcountrygaveJessyagrave. Now,beholdRosetwoyearslater.Thecrossesandgarlandslookedstrange,butthehillsandwoodsofthislandscapelookstillstranger.This,indeed,isfarfromEnglandremotemustbetheshoreswhichwearthatwild,luxuriantaspect.Thisissomevirginsolitude.UnknownbirdsflutterroundtheskirtsofthatforestnoEuropeanriverthis,onwhosebanksRosesitsthinking.ThelittlequietYorkshiregirlisalonelyemigrantinsomeregionofthesouthernhemisphere.Willsheevercomeback? Thethreeeldestofthefamilyareallboys—Matthew,Mark,andMartin.Theyareseatedtogetherinthatcorner,engagedinsomegame.Observetheirthreeheads:muchalikeatafirstglanceatasecond,differentatathird,contrasted.Dark-haired,dark-eyed,red-cheekedarethewholetriosmallEnglishfeaturestheyallpossessallownablendedresemblancetosireandmotherandyetadistinctivephysiognomy,markofaseparatecharacter,belongstoeach. IshallnotsaymuchaboutMatthew,thefirst-bornofthehouse,thoughitisimpossibletoavoidgazingathimlong,andconjecturingwhatqualitiesthatvisagehidesorindicates.Heisnoplain-lookingboy:thatjet-blackhair,whitebrow,high-colouredcheek,thosequick,darkeyes,aregoodpointsintheirway.Howisitthat,lookaslongasyouwill,thereisbutoneobjectintheroom,andthatthemostsinister,towhichMatthew'sfaceseemstobearanaffinity,andofwhich,everandanon,itremindsyoustrangely—theeruptionofVesuvius?Flameandshadowseemthecomponentpartsofthatlad'ssoul—nodaylightinit,andnosunshine,andnopure,coolmoonbeamevershonethere.HehasanEnglishframe,but,apparently,notanEnglishmind—youwouldsay,anItalianstilettoinasheathofBritishworkmanship.Heiscrossedinthegame—lookathisscowl.Mr.Yorkeseesit,andwhatdoeshesay?Inalowvoicehepleads,"MarkandMartin,don'tangeryourbrother."Andthisiseverthetoneadoptedbybothparents.Theoretically,theydecrypartiality—norightsofprimogeniturearetobeallowedinthathousebutMatthewisnevertobevexed,nevertobeopposedtheyavertprovocationfromhimasassiduouslyastheywouldavertfirefromabarrelofgunpowder."Concede,conciliate,"istheirmottowhereverheisconcerned.Therepublicansarefastmakingatyrantoftheirownfleshandblood.Thistheyoungerscionsknowandfeel,andathearttheyallrebelagainsttheinjustice.Theycannotreadtheirparents'motivestheyonlyseethedifferenceoftreatment.Thedragon'steetharealreadysownamongstMr.Yorke'syoungolive-branchesdiscordwillonedaybetheharvest. Markisabonny-lookingboy,themostregular-featuredofthefamily.Heisexceedinglycalmhissmileisshrewdhecansaythedriest,mostcuttingthingsinthequietestoftones.Despitehistranquillity,asomewhatheavybrowspeakstemper,andremindsyouthatthesmoothestwatersarenotalwaysthesafest.Besides,heistoostill,unmoved,phlegmatic,tobehappy.LifewillneverhavemuchjoyinitforMark.Bythetimeheisfive-and-twentyhewillwonderwhypeopleeverlaugh,andthinkallfoolswhoseemmerry.PoetrywillnotexistforMark,eitherinliteratureorinlifeitsbesteffusionswillsoundtohimmererantandjargon.Enthusiasmwillbehisaversionandcontempt.Markwillhavenoyouthwhilehelooksjuvenileandblooming,hewillbealreadymiddle-agedinmind.Hisbodyisnowfourteenyearsofage,buthissoulisalreadythirty. Martin,theyoungestofthethree,ownsanothernature.Lifemay,ormaynot,bebriefforhim,butitwillcertainlybebrilliant.Hewillpass