CHAPTER XXI. MRS. PRYOR.

anheguessedat.Hefelthisrevengehadnotstruckhome.HefeltthatShirleytriumphed.Sheheldhimatfault,baffled,puzzled.Sheenjoyedthemoment,nothe. "AndifMooreisagentleman,youcanbeonlyaladytherefore——" "Thereforetherewouldbenoinequalityinourunion." "None." "Thankyouforyourapprobation.WillyougivemeawaywhenIrelinquishthenameofKeeldarforthatofMoore?" Mr.Yorke,insteadofreplying,gazedathermuchpuzzled.Hecouldnotdivinewhatherlooksignified—whethershespokeinearnestorinjest.Therewerepurposeandfeeling,banterandscoff,playing,mingled,onhermobilelineaments. "Idon'tunderstandthee,"hesaid,turningaway. Shelaughed."Takecourage,siryouarenotsingularinyourignorance.ButIsupposeifMooreunderstandsmethatwilldo,willitnot?" "MooremaysettlehisownmattershenceforwardformeI'llneithermeddlenormakewiththemfurther." Anewthoughtcrossedher.Hercountenancechangedmagically.Withasuddendarkeningoftheeyeandausterefixingofthefeaturesshedemanded,"Haveyoubeenaskedtointerfere?Areyouquestioningmeasanother'sproxy?" "TheLordsaveus!Whoeverwedstheemustlookabouthim!KeepallyourquestionsforRobertI'llanswernomoreon'em.Good-day,lassie!" Thedaybeingfine,oratleastfair—forsoftcloudscurtainedthesun,andadimbutnotchillorwaterishhazesleptblueonthehills—Caroline,whileShirleywasengagedwithhercallers,hadpersuadedMrs.Pryortoassumeherbonnetandsummershawl,andtotakeawalkwithheruptowardsthenarrowendoftheHollow. Heretheopposingsidesoftheglen,approachingeachotherandbecomingclothedwithbrushwoodandstuntedoaks,formedawoodedravine,atthebottomofwhichranthemill-stream,inbroken,unquietcourse,strugglingwithmanystones,chafingagainstruggedbanks,frettingwithgnarledtree-roots,foaming,gurgling,battlingasitwent.Here,whenyouhadwanderedhalfamilefromthemill,youfoundasenseofdeepsolitude—founditintheshadeofunmolestedtrees,receiveditinthesingingofmanybirds,forwhichthatshademadeahome.Thiswasnotroddenway.Thefreshnessofthewoodflowersattestedthatfootofmanseldompressedthemtheaboundingwildroseslookedasiftheybudded,bloomed,andfadedunderthewatchofsolitude,asifinasultan'sharem.Hereyousawthesweetazureofblue-bells,andrecognizedinpearl-whiteblossoms,spanglingthegrass,ahumbletypeofsomestarlitspotinspace. Mrs.Pryorlikedaquietwalk.Sheevershunnedhigh-roads,andsoughtbywaysandlonelylanes.Onecompanionshepreferredtototalsolitude,forinsolitudeshewasnervousavaguefearofannoyingencountersbroketheenjoymentofquitelonelyrambles.ButshefearednothingwithCaroline.Whenonceshegotawayfromhumanhabitations,andenteredthestilldemesneofnatureaccompaniedbythisoneyouthfulfriend,apropitiouschangeseemedtostealoverhermindandbeaminhercountenance.WhenwithCaroline—andCarolineonly—herheart,youwouldhavesaid,shookoffaburden,herbrowputasideaveil,herspiritstooescapedfromarestraint.Withhershewascheerfulwithher,attimes,shewastendertohershewouldimpartherknowledge,revealglimpsesofherexperience,giveheropportunitiesforguessingwhatlifeshehadlived,whatcultivationhermindhadreceived,ofwhatcalibrewasherintelligence,howandwhereherfeelingswerevulnerable. To-day,forinstance,astheywalkedalong,Mrs.Pryortalkedtohercompanionaboutthevariousbirdssinginginthetrees,discriminatedtheirspecies,andsaidsomethingabouttheirhabitsandpeculiarities.Englishnaturalhistoryseemedfamiliartoher.Allthewildflowersroundtheirpathwererecognizedbyhertinyplantsspringingnearstonesandpeepingoutofchinksinoldwalls—plantssuchasCarolinehadscarcelynoticedbefore—receivedanameandanintimationoftheirproperties.ItappearedthatshehadminutelystudiedthebotanyofEnglishfieldsandwoods.Havingreachedtheheadoftheravine,theysatdowntogetheronaledgeofgrayandmossyrockjuttingfromthebaseofasteepgreenhillwhichtoweredabovethem.Shelookedroundher,andspokeoftheneighbourhoodasshehadoncebeforeseenitlongago.Shealludedtoitschanges,andcompareditsaspectwiththatofotherpartsofEngland,revealinginquiet,unconscioustouchesofdescriptionasenseofthepicturesque,anappreciationofthebeautifulorcommonplace,apowerofcomparingthewildwiththecultured,thegrandwiththetame,thatgavetoherdiscourseagraphiccharmaspleasantasitwasunpretending. ThesortofreverentpleasurewithwhichCarolinelistened—sosincere,soquiet,yetsoevident—stirredtheelderlady'sfacultiestogentleanimation.Rarely,probably,hadshe,withherchill,repellentoutside,herdiffidentmien,andincommunicativehabits,knownwhatitwastoexciteinonewhomsheherselfcouldlovefeelingsofearnestaffectionandadmiringesteem.Delightful,doubtless,wastheconsciousnessthatayounggirltowardswhomitseemed,judgingbythemovedexpressionofhereyesandfeatures,herheartturnedwithalmostafondimpulse,lookeduptoherasaninstructor,andclungtoherasafriend.Withasomewhatmoremarkedaccentofinterestthansheoftenpermittedherselftouse,shesaid,asshebenttowardsheryouthfulcompanion,andputasidefromherforeheadapalebrowncurlwhichhadstrayedfromtheconfiningcomb,"Idohopethissweetairblowingfromthehillwilldoyougood,mydearCaroline.IwishIcouldseesomethingmoreofcolourinthesecheeksbutperhapsyouwereneverflorid?" "Ihadredcheeksonce,"returnedMissHelstone,smiling."Irememberayear—twoyearsago—whenIusedtolookintheglass,IsawadifferentfacetheretowhatIseenow—rounderandrosier.Butwhenweareyoung,"addedthegirlofeighteen,"ourmindsarecarelessandourliveseasy." "Doyou,"continuedMrs.Pryor,masteringbyaneffortthattyranttimiditywhichmadeitdifficultforher,evenunderpresentcircumstances,toattemptthescrutinyofanother'sheart—"doyou,atyourage,fretyourselfwithcaresforthefuture?Believeme,youhadbetternot.Letthemorrowtakethoughtforthethingsofitself." "True,dearmadam.ItisnotoverthefutureIpine.Theevilofthedayissometimesoppressive—toooppressive—andIlongtoescapeit." "Thatis—theeviloftheday—thatis—youruncleperhapsisnot—youfinditdifficulttounderstand—hedoesnotappreciate——" Mrs.PryorcouldnotcompleteherbrokensentencesshecouldnotmanagetoputthequestionwhetherMr.Helstonewastooharshwithhisniece.ButCarolinecomprehended. "Oh,thatisnothing,"shereplied."MyuncleandIgetonverywell.Weneverquarrel—Idon'tcallhimharsh—heneverscoldsme.SometimesIwishsomebodyintheworldlovedme,butIcannotsaythatIparticularlywishhimtohavemoreaffectionformethanhehas.Asachild,Ishouldperhapshavefeltthewantofattention,onlytheservantswereverykindtomebutwhenpeoplearelongindifferenttous,wegrowindifferenttotheirindifference.Itismyuncle'swaynottocareforwomenandgirls,unlesstheybeladiesthathemeetsincompany.Hecoul