CHAPTER X. OLD MAIDS.

Timeworeon,andspringmatured.ThesurfaceofEnglandbegantolookpleasant:herfieldsgrewgreen,herhillsfresh,hergardensbloomingbutatheartshewasnobetter.Stillherpoorwerewretched,stilltheiremployerswereharassed.Commerce,insomeofitsbranches,seemedthreatenedwithparalysis,forthewarcontinuedEngland'sbloodwasshedandherwealthlavished—all,itseemed,toattainmostinadequateends.SometidingstherewereindeedoccasionallyofsuccessesinthePeninsula,butthesecameinslowlylongintervalsoccurredbetween,inwhichnonotewasheardbuttheinsolentself-felicitationsofBonaparteonhiscontinuedtriumphs.Thosewhosufferedfromtheresultsofthewarfeltthistedious,and,astheythought,hopelessstruggleagainstwhattheirfearsortheirintereststaughtthemtoregardasaninvinciblepower,mostinsufferable.Theydemandedpeaceonanyterms.MenlikeYorkeandMoore—andtherewerethousandswhomthewarplacedwhereitplacedthem,shudderingonthevergeofbankruptcy—insistedonpeacewiththeenergyofdesperation. Theyheldmeetings,theymadespeeches,theygotuppetitionstoextortthisboononwhattermsitwasmadetheycarednot. Allmen,takensingly,aremoreorlessselfishandtakeninbodies,theyareintenselyso.TheBritishmerchantisnoexceptiontothisrule:themercantileclassesillustrateitstrikingly.TheseclassescertainlythinktooexclusivelyofmakingmoneytheyaretooobliviousofeverynationalconsiderationbutthatofextendingEngland's—thatis,theirown—commerce.Chivalrousfeeling,disinterestedness,prideinhonour,istoodeadintheirhearts.Alandruledbythemalonewouldtoooftenmakeignominioussubmission—notatallfromthemotivesChristteaches,butratherfromthoseMammoninstils.Duringthelatewar,thetradesmenofEnglandwouldhaveenduredbuffetsfromtheFrenchontherightcheekandonthelefttheircloaktheywouldhavegiventoNapoleon,andthenhavepolitelyofferedhimtheircoatalso,norwouldtheyhavewithheldtheirwaistcoatifurgedtheywouldhaveprayedpermissiononlytoretaintheironeothergarment,forthesakeofthepurseinitspocket.Notonesparkofspirit,notonesymptomofresistance,wouldtheyhaveshowntillthehandoftheCorsicanbandithadgraspedthatbelovedpursethen,perhaps,transfiguredatonceintoBritishbulldogs,theywouldhavesprungattherobber'sthroat,andtheretheywouldhavefastened,andtherehung,inveterate,insatiable,tillthetreasurehadbeenrestored.Tradesmen,whentheyspeakagainstwar,alwaysprofesstohateitbecauseitisabloodyandbarbarousproceeding.Youwouldthink,tohearthemtalk,thattheyarepeculiarlycivilized—especiallygentleandkindlyofdispositiontotheirfellow-men.Thisisnotthecase.Manyofthemareextremelynarrowandcold-heartedhavenogoodfeelingforanyclassbuttheirownaredistant,evenhostile,toallotherscallthemuselessseemtoquestiontheirrighttoexistseemtogrudgethemtheveryairtheybreathe,andtothinkthecircumstanceoftheireating,drinking,andlivingindecenthousesquiteunjustifiable.Theydonotknowwhatothersdointhewayofhelping,pleasing,orteachingtheirracetheywillnottroublethemselvestoinquire.Whoeverisnotintradeisaccusedofeatingthebreadofidleness,ofpassingauselessexistence.LongmayitbeereEnglandreallybecomesanationofshop-keepers! WehavealreadysaidthatMoorewasnoself-sacrificingpatriot,andwehavealsoexplainedwhatcircumstancesrenderedhimspeciallypronetoconfinehisattentionandeffortstothefurtheranceofhisindividualinterestaccordingly,whenhefelthimselfurgedasecondtimetothebrinkofruin,nonestruggledharderthanheagainsttheinfluenceswhichwouldhavethrusthimover.Whathecoulddotowardsstirringagitationinthenorthagainstthewarhedid,andheinstigatedotherswhosemoneyandconnectionsgavethemmorepowerthanhepossessed.Sometimes,byflashes,hefelttherewaslittlereasoninthedemandshispartymadeonGovernment.WhenheheardofallEuropethreatenedbyBonaparte,andofallEuropearmingtoresisthimwhenhesawRussiamenaced,andbeheldRussiarising,incensedandstern,todefendherfrozensoil,herwildprovincesofserfs,herdarknativedespotism,fromthetread,theyoke,thetyrannyofaforeignvictor—heknewthatEngland,afreerealm,couldnotthendeputehersonstomakeconcessionsandproposetermstotheunjust,graspingFrenchleader.WhennewscamefromtimetotimeofthemovementsofthatmanthenrepresentingEnglandinthePeninsula,ofhisadvancefromsuccesstosuccess—thatadvancesodeliberatebutsounswerving,socircumspectbutsocertain,so"unhasting"butso"unresting"whenhereadLordWellington'sowndispatchesinthecolumnsofthenewspapers,documentswrittenbymodestytothedictationoftruth—MooreconfessedatheartthatapowerwaswiththetroopsofBritain,ofthatvigilant,enduring,genuine,unostentatioussort,whichmustwinvictorytothesideitled,intheend.Intheend!Butthatend,hethought,wasyetfaroffandmeantimehe,Moore,asanindividual,wouldbecrushed,hishopesgroundtodust.Itwashimselfhehadtocarefor,hishopeshehadtopursueandhewouldfulfilhisdestiny. HefulfilleditsovigorouslythaterelonghecametoadecisiverupturewithhisoldToryfriendtherector.Theyquarrelledatapublicmeeting,andafterwardsexchangedsomepungentlettersinthenewspapers.Mr.HelstonedenouncedMooreasaJacobin,ceasedtoseehim,wouldnotevenspeaktohimwhentheymet.Heintimatedalsotohisniece,verydistinctly,thathercommunicationswithHollow'sCottagemustforthepresentceaseshemustgiveuptakingFrenchlessons.Thelanguage,heobserved,wasabadandfrivolousoneatthebest,andmostoftheworksitboastedwerebadandfrivolous,highlyinjuriousintheirtendencytoweakfemaleminds.Hewondered(heremarkedparenthetically)whatnoodlefirstmadeitthefashiontoteachwomenFrench.Nothingwasmoreimproperforthem.Itwaslikefeedingaricketychildonchalkandwatergruel.Carolinemustgiveitup,andgiveuphercousinstoo.Theyweredangerouspeople. Mr.Helstonequiteexpectedoppositiontothisorderheexpectedtears.SeldomdidhetroublehimselfaboutCaroline'smovements,butavagueideapossessedhimthatshewasfondofgoingtoHollow'sCottagealsohesuspectedthatshelikedRobertMoore'soccasionalpresenceattherectory.TheCossackhadperceivedthatwhereasifMalonesteppedinofaneveningtomakehimselfsociableandcharming,bypinchingtheearsofanagedblackcat,whichusuallysharedwithMissHelstone'sfeettheaccommodationofherfootstool,orbyborrowingafowling-piece,andbangingawayatatoolsheddoorinthegardenwhileenoughofdaylightremainedtoshowthatconspicuousmark,keepingthepassageandsitting-roomdoorsmeantimeuncomfortablyopenfortheconvenienceofrunninginandouttoannouncehisfailuresandsuccesseswithnoisybrusquerie—hehadobservedthatundersuchentertainingcircumstancesCarolinehadatrickofdisappearing,trippingnoiselesslyupstairs,andremaininginvisibletillcalleddowntosupper.Ontheotherhand,whenRobertMoorewastheguest,thoughheelicitednovivacitiesfromthecat,didnothingtoit,indeed,beyondoccasionallycoaxingitfromthestooltohisknee,andtherelettingitpurr,climbtohisshoulder,andrubitsheadagainsthischeekthoughtherewasnoear-splittingcrackingoffoffirearms,nodiffusionofsulphurousgunpowderperfume,nonoise,noboastingduringhisstay—thatstillCarolinesatintheroom,and