CHAPTER XXVI. OLD COPY-BOOKS.

BythetimetheFieldheadpartyreturnedtoBriarfieldCarolinewasnearlywell.MissKeeldar,whohadreceivednewsbypostofherfriend'sconvalescence,hardlysufferedanhourtoelapsebetweenherarrivalathomeandherfirstcallattherectory. Ashowerofrainwasfallinggently,yetfast,onthelateflowersandrussetautumnshrubs,whenthegardenwicketwasheardtoswingopen,andShirley'swell-knownformpassedthewindow.Onherentranceherfeelingswereevincedinherownpeculiarfashion.Whendeeplymovedbyseriousfearsorjoysshewasnotgarrulous.Thestrongemotionwasrarelysufferedtoinfluencehertongue,andevenhereyerefuseditmorethanafurtiveandfitfulconquest.ShetookCarolineinherarms,gaveheronelook,onekiss,thensaid,"Youarebetter." Andaminuteafter,"Iseeyouaresafenowbuttakecare.Godgrantyourhealthmaybecalledontosustainnomoreshocks!" Sheproceededtotalkfluentlyaboutthejourney.InthemidstofvivaciousdiscoursehereyestillwanderedtoCaroline.Therespokeinitslightadeepsolicitude,sometrouble,andsomeamaze. "Shemaybebetter,"itsaid,"buthowweakshestillis!Whatperilshehascomethrough!" SuddenlyherglancerevertedtoMrs.Pryor.Itpiercedherthrough. "Whenwillmygovernessreturntome?"sheasked. "MayItellherall?"demandedCarolineofhermother.Leavebeingsignifiedbyagesture,Shirleywaspresentlyenlightenedonwhathadhappenedinherabsence. "Verygood,"wasthecoolcomment—"verygood!Butitisnonewstome." "What!didyouknow?" "Iguessedlongsincethewholebusiness.Ihaveheard'Shirley,mywoman,ifyouwanttoknowaughtaboutyond'JamesHelstone,Icanonlysayhewasaman-tiger.Hewashandsome,dissolute,soft,treacherous,courteous,cruel——'Don'tcry,Carywe'llsaynomoreaboutit." "Iamnotcrying,ShirleyorifIam,itisnothing.Goonyouarenofriendifyouwithholdfrommethetruth.Ihatethatfalseplanofdisguising,mutilatingthetruth." "FortunatelyIhavesaidprettynearlyallthatIhavetosay,exceptthatyourunclehimselfconfirmedMr.Yorke'swordsforhetooscornsalie,anddealsinnoneofthoseconventionalsubterfugesthatareshabbierthanlies." "Butpapaisdeadtheyshouldlethimalonenow." "Theyshouldandwewilllethimalone.Cryaway,Caryitwilldoyougood.Itiswrongtochecknaturaltears.Besides,Ichoosetopleasemyselfbysharinganideathatatthismomentbeamsinyourmother'seyewhileshelooksatyou.Everydropblotsoutasin.Weep!yourtearshavethevirtuewhichtheriversofDamascuslacked.LikeJordan,theycancleansealeprousmemory." "Madam,"shecontinued,addressingMrs.Pryor,"didyouthinkIcouldbedailyinthehabitofseeingyouandyourdaughtertogether—markingyourmarvelloussimilarityinmanypoints,observing(pardonme)yourirrepressibleemotionsinthepresenceandstillmoreintheabsenceofyourchild—andnotformmyownconjectures?Iformedthem,andtheyareliterallycorrect.Ishallbegintothinkmyselfshrewd." "Andyousaidnothing?"observedCaroline,whosoonregainedthequietcontrolofherfeelings. "Nothing.Ihadnowarranttobreatheawordonthesubject.MybusinessitwasnotIabstainedfrommakingitsuch." "Youguessedsodeepasecret,anddidnothintthatyouguessedit?" "Isthatsodifficult?" "Itisnotlikeyou." "Howdoyouknow?" "Youarenotreservedyouarefranklycommunicative." "Imaybecommunicative,yetknowwheretostop.InshowingmytreasureImaywithholdagemortwo—acurious,unboughtgravenstone—anamuletofwhosemysticglitterIrarelypermitevenmyselfaglimpse.Good-day." CarolinethusseemedtogetaviewofShirley'scharacterunderanovelaspect.Erelongtheprospectwasreneweditopeneduponher. Nosoonerhadsheregainedsufficientstrengthtobearachangeofscene—theexcitementofalittlesociety—thanMissKeeldarsueddailyforherpresenceatFieldhead.WhetherShirleyhadbecomeweariedofherhonouredrelativesisnotknown.ShedidnotsayshewasbutsheclaimedandretainedCarolinewithaneagernesswhichprovedthatanadditiontothatworshipfulcompanywasnotunwelcome. TheSympsonswerechurchpeople.Ofcoursetherector'sniecewasreceivedbythemwithcourtesy.Mr.Sympsonprovedtobeamanofspotlessrespectability,worryingtemper,piousprinciples,andworldlyviewshisladywasaverygoodwoman—patient,kind,well-bred.Shehadbeenbroughtuponanarrowsystemofviews,starvedonafewprejudices—amerehandfulofbitterherbsafewpreferences,soakedtilltheirnaturalflavourwasextracted,andwithnoseasoningaddedinthecookingsomeexcellentprinciples,madeupinastiffraisedcrustofbigotrydifficulttodigest.Fartoosubmissivewasshetocomplainofthisdietortoaskforacrumbbeyondit. Thedaughterswereanexampletotheirsex.Theyweretall,withaRomannoseapiece.Theyhadbeeneducatedfaultlessly.Alltheydidwaswelldone.Historyandthemostsolidbookshadcultivatedtheirminds.Principlesandopinionstheypossessedwhichcouldnotbemended.Moreexactly-regulatedlives,feelings,manners,habits,itwouldhavebeendifficulttofindanywhere.Theyknewbyheartacertainyoung-ladies'-schoolroomcodeoflawsonlanguage,demeanour,etc.themselvesneverdeviatedfromitscuriouslittlepragmaticalprovisions,andtheyregardedwithsecretwhisperedhorroralldeviationsinothers.TheAbominationofDesolationwasnomysterytothemtheyhaddiscoveredthatunutterableThinginthecharacteristicotherscallOriginality.Quickweretheytorecognizethesignsofthisevilandwherevertheysawitstrace—whetherinlook,word,ordeedwhethertheyreaditinthefresh,vigorousstyleofabook,orlistenedtoitininteresting,unhackneyed,pure,expressivelanguage—theyshuddered,theyrecoiled.Dangerwasabovetheirheads,perilabouttheirsteps.Whatwasthisstrangething?Beingunintelligibleitmustbebad.Letitbedenouncedandchainedup. HenrySympson,theonlysonandyoungestchildofthefamily,wasaboyoffifteen.Hegenerallykeptwithhistutor.Whenhelefthim,hesoughthiscousinShirley.Thisboydifferedfromhissisters.Hewaslittle,lame,andpalehislargeeyesshonesomewhatlanguidlyinawanorbit.Theywere,indeed,usuallyratherdim,buttheywerecapableofillumination.Attimestheycouldnotonlyshine,butblaze.Inwardemotioncouldlikewisegivecolourtohischeekanddecisiontohiscrippledmovements.Henry'smotherlovedhimshethoughthispeculiaritieswereamarkofelection.Hewasnotlikeotherchildren,sheallowed.Shebelievedhimregenerate—anewSamuel—calledofGodfromhisbirth.Hewastobeaclergyman.Mr.andtheMissesSympson,notunderstandingtheyouth,lethimmuchalone.Shirleymadehimherpet,andhemadeShirleyhisplaymate. Inthemidstofthisfamilycircle,orratheroutsideit,movedthetutor—thesatellite. Yes,LouisMoorewasasatelliteofthehouseofSympson—con