CHAPTER XI.

toldclearlyofamindfreefromalldisavoweddevices. PlacesofhonourhadbeenkeptfortheMissLammetersneartheheadoftheprincipaltea-tableinthewainscotedparlour,nowlookingfreshandpleasantwithhandsomebranchesofholly,yew,andlaurel,fromtheabundantgrowthsoftheoldgardenandNancyfeltaninwardflutter,thatnofirmnessofpurposecouldprevent,whenshesawMr.GodfreyCassadvancingtoleadhertoaseatbetweenhimselfandMr.Crackenthorp,whilePriscillawascalledtotheoppositesidebetweenherfatherandtheSquire.ItcertainlydidmakesomedifferencetoNancythatthelovershehadgivenupwastheyoungmanofquitethehighestconsequenceintheparish—athomeinavenerableanduniqueparlour,whichwastheextremityofgrandeurinherexperience,aparlourwhereshemightonedayhavebeenmistress,withtheconsciousnessthatshewasspokenofas“MadamCass”,theSquire’swife.Thesecircumstancesexaltedherinwarddramainherowneyes,anddeepenedtheemphasiswithwhichshedeclaredtoherselfthatnotthemostdazzlingrankshouldinducehertomarryamanwhoseconductshowedhimcarelessofhischaracter,butthat,“loveonce,lovealways”,wasthemottoofatrueandpurewoman,andnomanshouldeverhaveanyrightoverherwhichwouldbeacallonhertodestroythedriedflowersthatshetreasured,andalwayswouldtreasure,forGodfreyCass’ssake.AndNancywascapableofkeepingherwordtoherselfunderverytryingconditions.NothingbutabecomingblushbetrayedthemovingthoughtsthaturgedthemselvesuponherassheacceptedtheseatnexttoMr.Crackenthorpforshewassoinstinctivelyneatandadroitinallheractions,andherprettylipsmeteachotherwithsuchquietfirmness,thatitwouldhavebeendifficultforhertoappearagitated. Itwasnottherector’spracticetoletacharmingblushpasswithoutanappropriatecompliment.Hewasnotintheleastloftyoraristocratic,butsimplyamerry-eyed,small-featured,grey-hairedman,withhischinproppedbyanample,many-creasedwhiteneckclothwhichseemedtopredominateovereveryotherpointinhisperson,andsomehowtoimpressitspeculiarcharacteronhisremarkssothattohaveconsideredhisamenitiesapartfromhiscravatwouldhavebeenasevere,andperhapsadangerous,effortofabstraction. “Ha,MissNancy,”hesaid,turninghisheadwithinhiscravatandsmilingdownpleasantlyuponher,“whenanybodypretendsthishasbeenaseverewinter,IshalltellthemIsawtherosesbloomingonNewYear’sEve—eh,Godfrey,whatdoyousay?” Godfreymadenoreply,andavoidedlookingatNancyverymarkedlyforthoughthesecomplimentarypersonalitieswereheldtobeinexcellenttasteinold-fashionedRaveloesociety,reverentlovehasapolitenessofitsownwhichitteachestomenotherwiseofsmallschooling.ButtheSquirewasratherimpatientatGodfrey’sshowinghimselfadullsparkinthisway.Bythisadvancedhouroftheday,theSquirewasalwaysinhigherspiritsthanwehaveseenhiminatthebreakfast-table,andfeltitquitepleasanttofulfilthehereditarydutyofbeingnoisilyjovialandpatronizing:thelargesilversnuff-boxwasinactiveserviceandwasofferedwithoutfailtoallneighboursfromtimetotime,howeveroftentheymighthavedeclinedthefavour.Atpresent,theSquirehadonlygivenanexpresswelcometotheheadsoffamiliesastheyappearedbutalwaysastheeveningdeepened,hishospitalityrayedoutmorewidely,tillhehadtappedtheyoungestguestsonthebackandshownapeculiarfondnessfortheirpresence,inthefullbeliefthattheymustfeeltheirlivesmadehappybytheirbelongingtoaparishwheretherewassuchaheartymanasSquireCasstoinvitethemandwishthemwell.Eveninthisearlystageofthejovialmood,itwasnaturalthatheshouldwishtosupplyhisson’sdeficienciesbylookingandspeakingforhim. “Aye,aye,”hebegan,offeringhissnuff-boxtoMr.Lammeter,whoforthesecondtimebowedhisheadandwavedhishandinstiffrejectionoftheoffer,“usoldfellowsmaywishourselvesyoungto-night,whenweseethemistletoe-boughintheWhiteParlour.It’strue,mostthingsaregoneback’ardintheselastthirtyyears—thecountry’sgoingdownsincetheoldkingfellill.ButwhenIlookatMissNancyhere,Ibegintothinkthelasseskeepuptheirquality—dingmeifIrememberasampletomatchher,notwhenIwasafineyoungfellow,andthoughtadealaboutmypigtail.Nooffencetoyou,madam,”headded,bendingtoMrs.Crackenthorp,whosatbyhim,“Ididn’tknowyouwhenyouwereasyoungasMissNancyhere.” Mrs.Crackenthorp—asmallblinkingwoman,whofidgetedincessantlywithherlace,ribbons,andgoldchain,turningherheadaboutandmakingsubduednoises,verymuchlikeaguinea-pigthattwitchesitsnoseandsoliloquizesinallcompanyindiscriminately—nowblinkedandfidgetedtowardstheSquire,andsaid,“Oh,no—nooffence.” ThisemphaticcomplimentoftheSquire’stoNancywasfeltbyothersbesidesGodfreytohaveadiplomaticsignificanceandherfathergaveaslightadditionalerectnesstohisback,ashelookedacrossthetableatherwithcomplacentgravity.ThatgraveandorderlyseniorwasnotgoingtobateajotofhisdignitybyseemingelatedatthenotionofamatchbetweenhisfamilyandtheSquire’s:hewasgratifiedbyanyhonourpaidtohisdaughterbuthemustseeanalterationinseveralwaysbeforehisconsentwouldbevouchsafed.Hissparebuthealthyperson,andhigh-featuredfirmface,thatlookedasifithadneverbeenflushedbyexcess,wasinstrongcontrast,notonlywiththeSquire’s,butwiththeappearanceoftheRaveloefarmersgenerally—inaccordancewithafavouritesayingofhisown,that“breedwasstrongerthanpasture”. “MissNancy’swonderfullikewhathermotherwas,thoughisn’tshe,Kimble?”saidthestoutladyofthatname,lookingroundforherhusband. ButDoctorKimble(countryapothecariesinolddaysenjoyedthattitlewithoutauthorityofdiploma),beingathinandagileman,wasflittingabouttheroomwithhishandsinhispockets,makinghimselfagreeabletohisfemininepatients,withmedicalimpartiality,andbeingwelcomedeverywhereasadoctorbyhereditaryright—notoneofthosemiserableapothecarieswhocanvassforpracticeinstrangeneighbourhoods,andspendalltheirincomeinstarvingtheironehorse,butamanofsubstance,abletokeepanextravaganttablelikethebestofhispatients.TimeoutofmindtheRaveloedoctorhadbeenaKimbleKimblewasinherentlyadoctor’snameanditwasdifficulttocontemplatefirmlythemelancholyfactthattheactualKimblehadnoson,sothathispracticemightonedaybehandedovertoasuccessorwiththeincongruousnameofTaylororJohnson.ButinthatcasethewiserpeopleinRaveloewouldemployDr.BlickofFlitton—aslessunnatural. “Didyouspeaktome,mydear?”saidtheauthenticdoctor,comingquicklytohiswife’ssidebut,asifforeseeingthatshewouldbetoomuchoutofbreathtorepeatherremark,hewentonimmediately—“Ha,MissPriscilla,thesightofyourevivesthetasteofthatsuper-excellentpork-pie.Ihopethebatchisn’tnearanend.” “Yes,indeed,itis,doctor,”saidPriscilla“butI’llanswerforitthenextshallbeasgood.Mypork-piesdon’tturnoutwellbychance.” “Notasyourdoctoringdoes,eh,Kimble?—becausefolksforgettotakeyourphysic,eh?”saidtheSquire,whoregardedphysicanddoctorsasmanyloyalchurchmenregardthechurchandtheclergy—tastingajokeagainstthemwhenhewasinhealth,butimpatientlyeagerfortheiraidwhenanythingwasthematterwithhim.Hetappedhisbox,andlookedroundwithatriumphantlaugh. “Ah,shehasaquickwit,myfriendPriscillahas,”saidthedoctor,choosingtoattributetheepigramtoaladyratherthanallowabrother-in-lawthatadvantageoverhim.“Shesavesalittlepeppertosprinkleoverhertalk—that’sthereasonwhysheneverputstoomuchintoherpies.There’smywifenow,sheneverhasananswerathertongue’sendbutifIoffendher,she’ssuretoscarifymythroatwithblackpepperthenextday,orelsegivemethecolicwithwaterygreens.That’sanawfultit-for-tat.”Herethevivaciousdoctormadeapatheticgrimace