CHAPTER XX. TO-MORROW.

realopinionofsomefirst-ratefemalecharactersinfirst-rateworks,whereshouldIbe?Deadunderacairnofavengingstonesinhalfanhour." "Shirley,youchatterso,Ican'tfastenyou.Bestill.And,afterall,authors'heroinesarealmostasgoodasauthoresses'heroes." "Notatall.Womenreadmenmoretrulythanmenreadwomen.I'llprovethatinamagazinepapersomedaywhenI'vetimeonlyitwillneverbeinserted.Itwillbe'declinedwiththanks,'andleftformeatthepublisher's." "Tobesure.Youcouldnotwritecleverlyenough.Youdon'tknowenough.Youarenotlearned,Shirley." "GodknowsIcan'tcontradictyou,CaryI'masignorantasastone.There'sonecomfort,however:youarenotmuchbetter." Theydescendedtobreakfast. "IwonderhowMrs.PryorandHortenseMoorehavepassedthenight,"saidCaroline,asshemadethecoffee."SelfishbeingthatIam,Ineverthoughtofeitherofthemtilljustnow.Theywillhaveheardallthetumult,FieldheadandthecottagearesonearandHortenseistimidinsuchmatters—so,nodoubt,isMrs.Pryor." "Takemywordforit,Lina,Moorewillhavecontrivedtogethissisteroutoftheway.ShewenthomewithMissMann.Hewillhavequarteredherthereforthenight.AstoMrs.Pryor,IownIamuneasyaboutherbutinanotherhalf-hourwewillbewithher." BythistimethenewsofwhathadhappenedattheHollowwasspreadallovertheneighbourhood.Fanny,whohadbeentoFieldheadtofetchthemilk,returnedinpantinghastewithtidingsthattherehadbeenabattleinthenightatMr.Moore'smill,andthatsomesaidtwentymenwerekilled.Eliza,duringFanny'sabsence,hadbeenapprisedbythebutcher'sboythatthemillwasburnttotheground.Bothwomenrushedintotheparlourtoannouncetheseterriblefactstotheladies,terminatingtheirclearandaccuratenarrativebytheassertionthattheyweresuremastermusthavebeeninitall.HeandThomas,theclerk,theywereconfident,musthavegonelastnighttojoinMr.Mooreandthesoldiers.Mr.Malone,too,hadnotbeenheardofathislodgingssinceyesterdayafternoonandJoeScott'swifeandfamilywereinthegreatestdistress,wonderingwhathadbecomeoftheirhead. ScarcelywasthisinformationimpartedwhenaknockatthekitchendoorannouncedtheFieldheaderrand-boy,arrivedinhothaste,bearingabilletfromMrs.Pryor.Itwashurriedlywritten,andurgedMissKeeldartoreturndirectly,astheneighbourhoodandthehouseseemedlikelytobeallinconfusion,andorderswouldhavetobegivenwhichthemistressofthehallalonecouldregulate.InapostscriptitwasentreatedthatMissHelstonemightnotbeleftaloneattherectory.Shehadbetter,itwassuggested,accompanyMissKeeldar. "Therearenottwoopinionsonthathead,"saidShirley,asshetiedonherownbonnet,andthenrantofetchCaroline's. "ButwhatwillFannyandElizado?Andifmyunclereturns?" "Yourunclewillnotreturnyethehasotherfishtofry.HewillbegallopingbackwardsandforwardsfromBriarfieldtoStilbro'allday,rousingthemagistratesinthecourt-houseandtheofficersatthebarracksandFannyandElizacanhaveinJoeScott'sandtheclerk'swivestobearthemcompany.Besides,ofcourse,thereisnorealdangertobeapprehendednow.Weekswillelapsebeforetherioterscanagainrally,orplananyotherattemptandIammuchmistakenifMooreandMr.Helstonewillnottakeadvantageoflastnight'soutbreaktoquellthemaltogether.TheywillfrightentheauthoritiesofStilbro'intoenergeticmeasures.Ionlyhopetheywillnotbetoosevere—notpursuethediscomfitedtoorelentlessly." "Robertwillnotbecruel.Wesawthatlastnight,"saidCaroline. "Buthewillbehard,"retortedShirley"andsowillyouruncle." AstheyhurriedalongthemeadowandplantationpathtoFieldhead,theysawthedistanthighwayalreadyalivewithanunwontedflowofequestriansandpedestrians,tendinginthedirectionoftheusuallysolitaryHollow.Onreachingthehall,theyfoundthebackyardgatesopen,andthecourtandkitchenseemedcrowdedwithexcitedmilk-fetchers—men,women,andchildren—whomMrs.Gill,thehousekeeper,appearedvainlypersuadingtotaketheirmilk-cansanddepart.(Itis,orwas,by-the-bye,thecustominthenorthofEnglandforthecottagersonacountrysquire'sestatetoreceivetheirsuppliesofmilkandbutterfromthedairyofthemanorhouse,onwhosepasturesaherdofmilchkinewasusuallyfedfortheconvenienceoftheneighbourhood.MissKeeldarownedsuchaherd—alldeep-dewlapped,Cravencows,rearedonthesweetherbageandclearwatersofbonnyAiredaleandveryproudshewasoftheirsleekaspectandhighcondition.)Seeingnowthestateofmatters,andthatitwasdesirabletoeffectaclearanceofthepremises,Shirleysteppedinamongstthegossipinggroups.Shebadethemgood-morningwithacertainfrank,tranquilease—thenaturalcharacteristicofhermannerwhensheaddressednumbers,especiallyifthosenumbersbelongedtotheworking-classshewascooleramongstherequals,andratherproudtothoseaboveher.Shethenaskedthemiftheyhadallgottheirmilkmeasuredoutandunderstandingthattheyhad,shefurtherobservedthatshe"wonderedwhattheywerewaitingfor,then." "We'rejusttalk