CHAPTER XXI. MRS. PRYOR.

en!Anunpardonabletransgressionthatwhenheintroducedimprovementshedidnotgoaboutthebusinessinquitethemostpoliticway,didnotgraduatehischangesasdelicatelyasarichcapitalistmighthavedone!Forerrorsofthissortishetobethevictimofmoboutrage?Ishetobedeniedeventheprivilegeofdefendinghimself?Arethosewhohavetheheartsofmenintheirbreasts(andMr.Helstone,saywhatyouwillofhim,hassuchaheart)tobereviledlikemalefactorsbecausetheystandbyhim,becausetheyventuretoespousethecauseofoneagainsttwohundred?" "Come,comenow,becool,"saidMr.Yorke,smilingattheearnestnesswithwhichShirleymultipliedherrapidquestions. "Cool!MustIlistencoollytodownrightnonsense—todangerousnonsense?No.Ilikeyouverywell,Mr.Yorke,asyouknow,butIthoroughlydislikesomeofyourprinciples.Allthatcant—excuseme,butIrepeattheword—allthatcantaboutsoldiersandparsonsismostoffensiveinmyears.Allridiculous,irrationalcryingupofoneclass,whetherthesamebearistocratordemocrat—allhowlingdownofanotherclass,whetherclericalormilitary—allexactinginjusticetoindividuals,whethermonarchormendicant—isreallysickeningtomeallarrayingofranksagainstranks,allpartyhatreds,alltyranniesdisguisedasliberties,Irejectandwashmyhandsof.YouthinkyouareaphilanthropistyouthinkyouareanadvocateoflibertybutIwilltellyouthis—Mr.Hall,theparsonofNunnely,isabetterfriendbothofmanandfreedomthanHiramYorke,thereformerofBriarfield." FromamanMr.Yorkewouldnothavebornethislanguageverypatiently,norwouldhehaveendureditfromsomewomenbutheaccountedShirleybothhonestandpretty,andherplain-spokenireamusedhim.Besides,hetookasecretpleasureinhearingherdefendhertenant,forwehavealreadyintimatedhehadRobertMoore'sinterestverymuchatheart.Moreover,ifhewishedtoavengehimselfforherseverity,heknewthemeanslayinhispower:aword,hebelieved,wouldsufficetotameandsilenceher,tocoverherfrankforeheadwiththerosyshadowofshame,andveiltheglowofhereyeunderdown-droopedlidandlash. "Whatmorehastthoutosay?"heinquired,asshepaused,rather,itappeared,totakebreaththanbecausehersubjectorherzealwasexhausted. "Say,Mr.Yorke!"wastheanswer,thespeakermeantimewalkingfastfromwalltowalloftheoakparlour—"say?Ihaveagreatdealtosay,ifIcouldgetitoutinlucidorder,whichInevercando.Ihavetosaythatyourviews,andthoseofmostextremepoliticians,aresuchasnonebutmeninanirresponsiblepositioncanadvocatethattheyarepurelyoppositionviews,meantonlytobetalkedabout,andneverintendedtobeactedon.MakeyouPrimeMinisterofEnglandto-morrow,andyouwouldhavetoabandonthem.YouabuseMoorefordefendinghismill.HadyoubeeninMoore'splaceyoucouldnotwithhonourorsensehaveactedotherwisethanheacted.YouabuseMr.Helstoneforeverythinghedoes.Mr.Helstonehashisfaultshesometimesdoeswrong,butoftenerright.WereyouordainedvicarofBriarfield,youwouldfinditnoeasytasktosustainalltheactiveschemesforthebenefitoftheparishplannedandperseveredinbyyourpredecessor.Iwonderpeoplecannotjudgemorefairlyofeachotherandthemselves.WhenIhearMessrs.MaloneandDonnechatterabouttheauthorityofthechurch,thedignityandclaimsofthepriesthood,thedeferenceduetothemasclergymenwhenIheartheoutbreaksoftheirsmallspiteagainstDissenterswhenIwitnesstheirsilly,narrowjealousiesandassumptionswhentheirpalaveraboutforms,andtraditions,andsuperstitionsissoundinginmyearwhenIbeholdtheirinsolentcarriagetothepoor,theiroftenbaseservilitytotherich—IthinktheEstablishmentisindeedinapoorway,andbothsheandhersonsappearintheutmostneedofreformation.Turningawaydistressedfromminstertowerandvillagespire—ay,asdistressedasachurchwardenwhofeelstheexigenceofwhite-washandhasnotwherewithaltopurchaselime—Irecallyoursenselesssarcasmsonthe'fatbishops,'the'pamperedparsons,''oldmotherchurch,'etc.Irememberyourstricturesonallwhodifferfromyou,yoursweepingcondemnationofclassesandindividuals,withouttheslightestallowancemadeforcircumstancesortemptationsandthen,Mr.Yorke,doubtclutchesmyinmostheartastowhethermenexistclement,reasonable,andjustenoughtobeentrustedwiththetaskofreform.Idon'tbelieveyouareofthenumber." "Youhaveanillopinionofme,MissShirley.Younevertoldmesomuchofyourmindbefore." "Ineverhadanopening.ButIhavesatonJessy'sstoolbyyourchairintheback-parlouratBriarmains,foreveningstogether,listeningexcitedlytoyourtalk,halfadmiringwhatyousaid,andhalfrebellingagainstit.IthinkyouafineoldYorkshireman,sir.Iamproudtohavebeenborninthesamecountyandparishasyourself.Truthful,upright,independentyouare,asarockbasedbelowseasbutalsoyouareharsh,rude,narrow,andmerciless." "Nottothepoor,lass,nortothemeekoftheearthonlytotheproudandhigh-minded." "Andwhatrighthaveyou,sir,tomakesuchdistinctions?Aprouder,ahigher-mindedmanthanyourselfdoesnotexist.Youfinditeasytospeakcomfortablytoyourinferiorsyouaretoohaughty,tooambitious,toojealoustobeciviltothoseaboveyou.Butyouareallalike.Helstonealsoisproudandprejudiced.Moore,thoughjusterandmoreconsideratethaneitheryouortherector,isstillhaughty,stern,and,inapublicsense,selfish.ItiswelltherearesuchmenasMr.Halltobefoundoccasionally—menoflargeandkindhearts,whocanlovetheirwholerace,whocanforgiveothersforbeingricher,moreprosperous,ormorepowerfulthantheyare.Suchmenmayhavelessoriginality,lessforceofcharacterthanyou,buttheyarebetterfriendstomankind." "Andwhenisittobe?"saidMr.Yorke,nowrising. "Wheniswhattobe?" "Thewedding." "Whosewedding?" "OnlythatofRobertGérardMoore,Esq.,ofHollow'sCottage,withMissKeeldar,daughterandheiressofthelateCharlesCaveKeeldarofFieldheadHall." Shirleygazedatthequestionerwithrisingcolour.Butthelightinhereyewasnotfalteringitshonesteadily—yes,itburneddeeply. "Thatisyourrevenge,"shesaidslowlythenadded,"Woulditbeabadmatch,unworthyofthelateCharlesCaveKeeldar'srepresentative?" "Mylass,Mooreisagentlemanhisbloodispureandancientasmineorthine." "Andwetwosetstorebyancientblood?Wehavefamilypride,thoughoneofusatleastisarepublican?" Yorkebowedashestoodbeforeher.Hislipsweremute,buthiseyeconfessedtheimpeachment.Yes,hehadfamilyprideyousawitinhiswholebearing. "Mooreisagentleman,"echoedShirley,liftingherheadwithgladgrace.Shecheckedherself.Wordsseemedcrowdingtohertongue.Shewouldnotgivethemutterancebutherlookspokemuchatthemoment.What,Yorketriedtoread,butcouldnot.Thelanguagewasthere,visible,butuntranslatable—apoem,afervidlyric,inanunknowntongue.Itwasnotaplainstory,however,nosimplegushoffeeling,noordinarylove-confession—thatwasobvious.Itwassomethingother,deeper,moreintricateth