“I am exceedingly obliged to you,” said
Ladislaw, proudly. “Since you are going
to part with the `Pioneer,’ I need not trouble
you about the steps I shall take. I may choose
to continue here for the present.”
After Mr. Brooke had left him Will said to himself,
“The rest of the family have been urging him
to get rid of me, and he doesn’t care now about
my going. I shall stay as long as I like.
I shall go of my own movements and not because they
are afraid of me.”
“His
heart
The lowliest duties on itself did lay.”
—WORDSWORTH.
On that June evening when Mr. Farebrother knew that
he was to have the Lowick living, there was joy in
the old fashioned parlor, and even the portraits of
the great lawyers seemed to look on with satisfaction.
His mother left her tea and toast untouched, but
sat with her usual pretty primness, only showing her
emotion by that flush in the cheeks and brightness
in the eyes which give an old woman a touching momentary
identity with her far-off youthful self, and saying
decisively—
“The greatest comfort, Camden, is that you have
deserved it.”
“When a man gets a good berth, mother, half
the deserving must come after,” said the son,
brimful of pleasure, and not trying to conceal it.
The gladness in his face was of that active kind
which seems to have energy enough not only to flash
outwardly, but to light up busy vision within:
one seemed to see thoughts, as well as delight, in
his glances.
“Now, aunt,” he went on, rubbing his hands
and looking at Miss Noble, who was making tender little
beaver-like noises, “There shall be sugar-candy
always on the table for you to steal and give to the
children, and you shall have a great many new stockings
to make presents of, and you shall darn your own more
than ever!”
Miss Noble nodded at her nephew with a subdued half-frightened
laugh, conscious of having already dropped an additional
lump of sugar into her basket on the strength of the
new preferment.
“As for you, Winny”—the Vicar
went on—“I shall make no difficulty
about your marrying any Lowick bachelor—Mr.
Solomon Featherstone, for example, as soon as I find
you are in love with him.”
Miss Winifred, who had been looking at her brother
all the while and crying heartily, which was her way
of rejoicing, smiled through her tears and said, “You
must set me the example, Cam: you must
marry now.”
“With all my heart. But who is in love
with me? I am a seedy old fellow,” said
the Vicar, rising, pushing his chair away and looking
down at himself. “What do you say, mother?”
“You are a handsome man, Camden: though
not so fine a figure of a man as your father,”
said the old lady.
“I wish you would marry Miss Garth, brother,”
said Miss Winifred. “She would make us
so lively at Lowick.”
“Very fine! You talk as if young women
were tied up to be chosen, like poultry at market;
as if I had only to ask and everybody would have me,”
said the Vicar, not caring to specify.
