CHAPTER XXIII. AN EVENING OUT.

dsingeneraldoconsequently,wheretheywouldoften,forwantofreflection,actweakly,I,bydintofreflection,shouldactjudiciously." "Ohno!youwouldbeinfluencedbyyourfeelingsyouwouldbeguidedbyimpulse." "OfcourseIshouldoftenbeinfluencedbymyfeelings.Theyweregivenmetothatend.WhommyfeelingsteachmetoloveImustandshallloveandIhope,ifeverIhaveahusbandandchildren,myfeelingswillinducemetolovethem.Ihope,inthatcase,allmyimpulseswillbestrongincompellingmetolove." CarolinehadapleasureinsayingthiswithemphasisshehadapleasureindaringtosayitinMrs.Yorke'spresence.Shedidnotcarewhatunjustsarcasmmightbehurledatherinreply.Sheflushed,notwithangerbutexcitement,whentheungenialmatronansweredcoolly,"Don'twasteyourdramaticeffects.Thatwaswellsaid—itwasquitefinebutitislostontwowomen—anoldwifeandanoldmaid.Thereshouldhavebeenadisengagedgentlemanpresent.—IsMr.Robertnowherehidbehindthecurtains,doyouthink,MissMoore?" Hortense,whoduringthechiefpartoftheconversationhadbeeninthekitchensuperintendingthepreparationsfortea,didnotyetquitecomprehendthedriftofthediscourse.Sheanswered,withapuzzledair,thatRobertwasatWhinbury.Mrs.Yorkelaughedherownpeculiarshortlaugh. "StraightforwardMissMoore!"saidshepatronizingly."Itislikeyoutounderstandmyquestionsoliterallyandansweritsosimply.Yourmindcomprehendsnothingofintrigue.Strangethingsmightgoonaroundyouwithoutyourbeingthewiseryouarenotoftheclasstheworldcallssharp-witted." TheseequivocalcomplimentsdidnotseemtopleaseHortense.Shedrewherselfup,puckeredherblackeyebrows,butstilllookedpuzzled. "Ihaveeverbeennotedforsagacityanddiscernmentfromchildhood,"shereturnedfor,indeed,onthepossessionofthesequalitiesshepeculiarlypiquedherself. "Youneverplottedtowinahusband,I'llbebound,"pursuedMrs.Yorke"andyouhavenotthebenefitofpreviousexperiencetoaidyouindiscoveringwhenothersplot." Carolinefeltthiskindlanguagewherethebenevolentspeakerintendedsheshouldfeelit—inherveryheart.Shecouldnotevenparrytheshaftsshewasdefencelessforthepresent.Toanswerwouldhavebeentoavowthatthecapfitted.Mrs.Yorke,lookingatherasshesatwithtroubled,downcasteyes,andcheekburningpainfully,andfigureexpressinginitsbentattitudeandunconscioustremorallthehumiliationandchagrinsheexperienced,feltthesuffererwasfairgame.Thestrangewomanhadanaturalantipathytoashrinking,sensitivecharacter—anervoustemperamentnorwasapretty,delicate,andyouthfulfaceapassporttoheraffections.Itwasseldomshemetwithalltheseobnoxiousqualitiescombinedinoneindividualstillmoreseldomshefoundthatindividualathermercy,undercircumstancesinwhichshecouldcrushherwell.Shehappenedthisafternoontobespeciallybiliousandmorose—asmuchdisposedtogoreasanyvicious"motheroftheherd."Loweringherlargeheadshemadeanewcharge. "YourcousinHortenseisanexcellentsister,MissHelstone.Suchladiesascometotrytheirlife'sluckhereatHollow'sCottagemay,byaverylittlecleverfemaleartifice,cajolethemistressofthehouse,andhavethegameallintheirownhands.Youarefondofyourcousin'ssociety,Idaresay,miss?" "Ofwhichcousin's?" "Oh,ofthelady's,ofcourse." "Hortenseis,andalwayshasbeen,mostkindtome." "Everysisterwithaneligiblesinglebrotherisconsideredmostkindbyherspinsterfriends." "Mrs.Yorke,"saidCaroline,liftinghereyesslowly,theirblueorbsatthesametimeclearingfromtrouble,andshiningsteadyandfull,whiletheglowofshamelefthercheek,anditshueturnedpaleandsettled—"Mrs.Yorke,mayIaskwhatyoumean?" "Togiveyoualessononthecultivationofrectitude,todisgustyouwithcraftandfalsesentiment." "DoIneedthislesson?" "Mostyoungladiesofthepresentdayneedit.Youarequiteamodernyounglady—morbid,delicate,professingtolikeretirementwhichimplies,Isuppose,thatyoufindlittleworthyofyoursympathiesintheordinaryworld.Theordinaryworld—every-dayhonestfolks—arebetterthanyouthinkthem,muchbetterthananybookish,romancingchitofagirlcanbewhohardlyeverputshernoseoverheruncletheparson'sgardenwall." "Consequentlyofwhomyouknownothing.Excuseme—indeed,itdoesnotmatterwhetheryouexcusemeornot—youhaveattackedmewithoutprovocationIshalldefendmyselfwithoutapology.Ofmyrelationswithmytwocousinsyouareignorant.Inafitofill-humouryouhaveattemptedtopoisonthembygratuitousinsinuations,whicharefarmorecraftyandfalsethananythingwithwhichyoucanjustlychargeme.ThatIhappentobepale,andsometimestolookdiffident,isnobusinessofyoursthatIamfondofbooks,andindisposedforcommongossip,isstilllessyourbusinessthatIama'romancingchitofagirl'isamereconjectureonyourpart.Ineverromancedtoyounortoanybodyyouknow.ThatIamtheparson'snieceisnotacrime,thoughyoumaybenarrow-mindedenoughtothinkitso.Youdislikeme.Youhavenojustreasonfordislikingmethereforekeeptheexpressionofyouraversiontoyourself.Ifatanytimeinfutureyouevinceitannoyingly,IshallanswerevenlessscrupulouslythanIhavedonenow." Sheceased,andsatinwhiteandstillexcitement.Shehadspokenintheclearestoftones,neitherfastnorloudbuthersilveraccentsthrilledtheear.Thespeedofthecurrentinherveinswasjustthenasswiftasitwasviewless. Mrs.Yorkewasnotirritatedatthereproof,wordedwithaseveritysosimple,dictatedbyapridesoquiet.TurningcoollytoMissMoore,shesaid,noddinghercapapprovingly,"Shehasspiritinher,afterall.—Alwaysspeakashonestlyasyouhavedonejustnow,"shecontinued,"andyou'lldo." "Irepelarecommendationsooffensive,"wastheanswer,deliveredinthesamepurekey,withthesameclearlook."Irejectcounselpoisonedbyinsinuation.ItismyrighttospeakasIthinkpropernothingbindsmetoconverseasyoudictate.SofarfromalwaysspeakingasIhavedonejustnow,Ishallneveraddressanyoneinatonesosternorinlanguagesoharsh,unlessinanswertounprovokedinsult." "Mother,youhavefoundyourmatch,"pronouncedlittleJessie,whomthesceneappearedgreatlytoedify.Rosehadheardthewholewithanunmovedface.Shenowsaid,"NoMissHelstoneisnotmymother'smatch,forsheallowsherselftobevexed.Mymotherwouldwearheroutinafewweeks.ShirleyKeeldarmanagesbetter.—Mother,youhaveneverhurtMissKeeldar'sfeelingsyet.Shewearsarmourunderhersilkdressthatyoucannotpenetrate." Mrs.Yorkeoftencomplainedthatherchildrenweremutinous.Itwasstrangethatwithallherstrictness,withallher"strong-mindedness,"shecouldgainnocommandoverthem.Alookfromtheirfatherhadmoreinfluencewiththemthanalecturefromher. MissMoore—towhomthepositionofwitnesstoanaltercationinwhichshetooknopartwashighlydispleasing,asbeinganunimportantsecondarypost—nowrallyingherdignity,preparedtoutteradiscoursewhichwastoprovebothpartiesinthewrong,andtomakeitcleartoeachdisputantthatshehadreasontobeashamedofherself,andoughttosubmithumblytothesuperiorsenseoftheindividualthenaddressingher.Fortunatelyforheraudience,shehadnotharanguedabovetenminuteswhenSarah'sentrancewiththetea-traycalledherattention,firsttothefactofthatdamselhavingagiltcombinherhairandarednecklaceroundherthroat,andsecondly,andsubsequentlytoapointedremonstrance,tothedutyofmakingtea.AfterthemealRoserestoredhertogood-humourbybringingherguitarandaskingforasong,andafterwardsengagingherinanintelligentandsharpcross-examinationaboutguitar-playingandmusicingeneral. Jessie,meantime,directedherassiduitiestoCaroline.Sittingonastoolatherfeet,shetalkedtoher,firstaboutreligionandthenaboutpoliti