CHAPTER XX. TO-MORROW.

ingabitoverthisbattletherehasbeenatyourmill,mistress,"repliedaman. "Talkingabit!Justlikeyou!"saidShirley."Itisaqueerthingalltheworldissofondoftalkingoverevents.Youtalkifanybodydiessuddenlyyoutalkifafirebreaksoutyoutalkifamill-ownerfailsyoutalkifhe'smurdered.Whatgooddoesyourtalkingdo?" Thereisnothingthelowerorderslikebetterthanalittledownrightgood-humouredrating.Flatterytheyscornverymuchhonestabusetheyenjoy.Theycallitspeakingplainly,andtakeasinceredelightinbeingtheobjectsthereof.ThehomelyharshnessofMissKeeldar'ssalutationwonhertheearofthewholethronginasecond. "We'renowarnorsome'atisaboonus,arewe?"askedaman,smiling. "Norawhitbetter.Youthatshouldbemodelsofindustryarejustasgossip-lovingastheidle.Fine,richpeoplethathavenothingtodomaybepartlyexcusedfortriflingtheirtimeawayyouwhohavetoearnyourbreadwiththesweatofyourbrowarequiteinexcusable." "That'squeer,mistress.Suldweneverhaveaholidaybecauseweworkhard?" "Never,"wasthepromptanswer"unless,"addedthe"mistress,"withasmilethathalfbeliedtheseverityofherspeech—"unlessyouknewhowtomakeabetteruseofitthantogettogetheroverrumandteaifyouarewomen,oroverbeerandpipesifyouaremen,andtalkscandalatyourneighbours'expense.Come,friends,"sheadded,changingatoncefrombluntnesstocourtesy,"obligemebytakingyourcansandgoinghome.Iexpectseveralpersonstocallto-day,anditwillbeinconvenienttohavetheavenuestothehousecrowded." Yorkshirepeopleareasyieldingtopersuasionastheyarestubbornagainstcompulsion.Theyardwasclearinfiveminutes. "Thankyou,andgood-byetoyou,friends,"saidShirley,assheclosedthegatesonaquietcourt. Now,letmehearthemostrefinedofcockneyspresumetofindfaultwithYorkshiremanners.Takenastheyoughttobe,themajorityoftheladsandlassesoftheWestRidingaregentlemenandladies,everyinchofthem.Itisonlyagainsttheweakaffectationandfutilepomposityofawould-bearistocrattheyturnmutinous. Enteringbythebackway,theyoungladiespassedthroughthekitchen(orhouse,astheinnerkitcheniscalled)tothehall.Mrs.Pryorcamerunningdowntheoakstaircasetomeetthem.Shewasallunnervedhernaturallysanguinecomplexionwaspaleherusuallyplacid,thoughtimid,blueeyewaswandering,unsettled,alarmed.Shedidnot,however,breakoutintoanyexclamations,orhurriednarrativeofwhathadhappened.Herpredominantfeelinghadbeeninthecourseofthenight,andwasnowthismorning,asenseofdissatisfactionwithherselfthatshecouldnotfeelfirmer,cooler,moreequaltothedemandsoftheoccasion. "Youareaware,"shebeganwithatremblingvoice,andyetthemostconscientiousanxietytoavoidexaggerationinwhatshewasabouttosay,"thatabodyofriotershasattackedMr.Moore'smillto-night.Weheardthefiringandconfusionveryplainlyherewenoneofusslept.Itwasasadnight.Thehousehasbeeningreatbustleallthemorningwithpeoplecomingandgoing.Theservantshaveappliedtomeforordersanddirections,whichIreallydidnotfeelwarrantedingiving.Mr.Moorehas,Ibelieve,sentupforrefreshmentsforthesoldiersandothersengagedinthedefence,forsomeconveniencesalsoforthewounded.Icouldnotundertaketheresponsibilityofgivingordersortakingmeasures.Ifeardelaymayhavebeeninjuriousinsomeinstancesbutthisisnotmyhouse.Youwereabsent,mydearMissKeeldar.WhatcouldIdo?" "Werenorefreshmentssent?"askedShirley,whilehercountenance,hithertosoclear,propitious,andquiet,evenwhileshewasratingthemilk-fetchers,suddenlyturneddarkandwarm. "Ithinknot,mydear." "Andnothingforthewounded—nolinen,nowine,nobedding?" "Ithinknot.IcannottellwhatMrs.Gilldidbutitseemedimpossibletome,atthemoment,toventuretodisposeofyourpropertybysendingsuppliestosoldiers.Provisionsforacompanyofsoldierssoundsformidable.HowmanythereareIdidnotaskbutIcouldnotthinkofallowingthemtopillagethehouse,asitwere.Iintendedtodowhatwasright,yetIdidnotseethecasequiteclearly,Iown." "Itliesinanutshell,notwithstanding.Thesesoldiershaveriskedtheirlivesindefenceofmyproperty:Isupposetheyhavearighttomygratitude.Thewoundedareourfellow-creatures:Isupposeweshouldaidthem.—Mrs.Gill!" Sheturned,andcalledinavoicemoreclearthansoft.Itrangthroughthethickoakofthehallandkitchendoorsmoreeffectuallythanabell'ssummons.Mrs.Gill,whowasdeepinbread-making,camewithhandsandaproninculinarycase,nothavingdaredtostoptorubthedoughfromtheoneortoshaketheflourfromtheother.Hermistresshadnevercalledaservantinthatvoicesaveoncebefore,andthatwaswhenshehadseenfromthewindowTartarinfulltugwithtwocarriers'dogs,eachofthemamatchforhiminsize,ifnotincourage,andtheirmastersstandingby,encouragingtheiranimals,whileherswasunbefriended.ThenindeedshehadsummonedJohnasiftheDayofJudgmentwereathand.NorhadshewaitedforthesaidJohn'scoming,buthadwalkedoutintothelanebonnetless,an