the daisy chain, or aspirations-第115章

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prevailed　on　to　come　to　Stoneborough　to　preach　a　sermon　in　the
Minster；　for　the　benefit　of　Cocksmoor；　when　they　would　all　hold
plates　at　the　door。　　Flora　gave　Ethel　a　tranquillising　pat；　and；　as
Mrs。　Ledwich　turned　to　her；　asking　whether　she　thought　Dr。　May；　or
Dr。　Hoxton；　would　prevail　on　him　to　come；　she　said；　with　her　winning
look；　〃I　think　that　consideration　had　better　wait　till　we　have　some
more　definite　view。　　Had　we　not　better　turn　to　this　land　question？〃

〃Quite　true！〃　they　all　agreed；　but　to　whom　did　the　land　belong？and
what　a　chorus　arose！　　Miss　Anderson　thought　it　belonged　to　Mr。
Nicolson；　because　the　wagons　of　slate　had　James　Nicolson　on　them；
and；　if　so；　they　had　no　chance；　for　he　was　an　old　miserand　six
stories　illustrative　thereof　ensued。　　Miss　Rich　was　quite　sure　some
Body　held　it；　and　Bodies　were　slow　of　movement。　　Mrs。　Ledwich
remembered　some　question　of　enclosing；　and　thought　all　waste　lands
were　under　the　Crown；　she　knew　that　the　Stoneborough　people　once　had
a　right　to　pasture　their　cattle；　because　Mr。　Southron's　cow　had
tumbled　down　a　loam…pit　when　her　mother　was　a　girl。　　No；　that　was　on
Far…view　down；　out　the　other　way！　　Miss　Harrison　was　positive　that
Sir　Henry　Walkinghame　had　some　right　there；　and　would　not　Dr。　May
apply　to　him？　　Mrs。　Grey　thought　it　ought　to　be　part　of　the　Drydale
estate；　and　Miss　Boulder　was　certain　that　Mr。　Bramshaw　knew　all　about
it。

Flora's　gentle　voice　carried　conviction　that　she　knew　what　she　was
saying；　when；　at　last；　they　left　a　moment　for　her　to　speak（Ethel
would　have　done　so　long　ago）。　　〃If　I　am　not　mistaken；　the　land　is　a
copyhold　of　Sir　Henry　Walkinghame；　held　under　the　manor　of　Drydale；
which　belongs　to　M　College；　and　is　underlet　to　Mr。　Nicolson。〃

Everybody；　being　partially　right；　was　delighted；　and　had　known　it　all
before；　Miss　Boulder　agreed　with　Miss　Anderson　that　Miss　May　had
stated　it　as　lucidly　as　Mr。　Bramshaw　could。　　The　next　question　was；
to　whom　to　apply？　and；　after　as　much　as　was　expedient　had　been　said
in　favour　of　each；　it　was　decided　that；　as　Sir　Henry　Walkinghame　was
abroad；　no　one　knew　exactly　where；　it　would　be　best　to　go　to　the
fountain…head；　and　write　at　once　to　the　principal　of　the　college。
But　who　was　to　write？　　Flora　proposed　Mr。　Ramsden　as　the　fittest
person；　but　this　was　negatived。　　Every　one　declared　that　he　would
never　take　the　trouble；　and　Miss　Rich　began　to　agitate　her　pens。　　By
this　time；　however；　Mrs。　Ward；　who　was　opposite　to　the　Gothic　clock…
tower；　began　to　look　uneasy；　and　suggested；　in　a　nervous　manner；　that
it　was　half…past　five；　and　she　was　afraid　Mr。　Ward　would　be　kept
waiting　for　his　dinner。　　Mrs。　Grey　began　to　have　like　fears；　that　Mr。
Grey　would　be　come　in　from　his　ride　after　banking　hours。　　The　other
ladies　began　to　think　of　tea；　and　the　meeting　decided　on　adjourning
till　that　day　next　week；　when　the　committee　would　sit　upon　Miss
Rich's　letter。

〃My　dear　Miss　Flora！〃　began　Miss　Rich；　adhering　to　her　as　they　parted
with　the　rest　at　the　end　of　the　street；　〃how　am　I　to　write　to　a
principal？　　Am　I　to　begin　Reverend　Sir；　or　My　Lord；　or　is　he
Venerable；　like　an　archdeacon？　　What　is　his　name；　and　what　am　I　to
say？〃

〃Why；　it　is　not　a　correspondence　much　in　my　line；〃　said　Flora；
laughing。

〃Ah！　but　you　are　so　intimate　with　Dr。　Hoxton；　and　your　brothers　at
Oxford！　　You　must　know〃

〃I'll　take　advice；〃　said　Flora　good…naturedly。　　〃Shall　I　come；　and
call　before　Friday；　and　tell　you　the　result？〃

〃Oh；　pray！　　It　will　be　a　real　favour！　　Good…morning〃

〃There；〃　said　Flora；　as　the　sisters　turned　homewards；　〃Cherry　is　not
going　to　be　turned　out　just　yet！〃

〃How　could　you；　Flora？　　Now　they　will　have　that　man　from　Whitford；
and　you　said　not　a　word　against　it！〃

〃What　was　the　use　of　adding　to　the　hubbub？　　A　little　opposition　would
make　them　determined　on　having　him。　　You　will　see；　Ethel；　we　shall
get　the　ground　on　our　own　terms；　and　then　it　will　be　time　to　settle
about　the　mistress。　　If　the　harvest　holidays　were　not　over；　we　would
try　to　send　Cherry　to　a　training…school；　so　as　to　leave　them　no
excuse。〃

〃I　hate　all　this　management　and　contrivance。　　It　would　be　more　honest
to　speak　our　minds；　and　not　pretend　to　agree　with　them。〃

〃My　dear　Ethel！　have　I　spoken　a　word　contrary　to　my　opinion？　　It　is
not　fit　for　me；　a　girl　of　twenty；　to　go　disputing　and　dragooning　as
you　would　have　me；　but　a　little　savoir　faire；　a　grain　of　common
sense；　thrown　in　among　the　babble；　always　works。　　Don't　you　remember
how　Mrs。　Ward's　sister　told　us　that　a　whole　crowd　of　tottering
Chinese　ladies　would　lean　on　her；　because　they　felt　her　firm　support；
though　it　was　out　of　sight？〃

Ethel　did　not　answer；　she　had　self…control　enough　left　not　to　retort
upon　Flora's　estimate　of　herself；　but　the　irritation　was　strong；　she
felt　as　if　her　cherished　views　for　Cocksmoor　were　insulted；　as　well
as　set　aside；　by　the　place　being　made　the　occasion　of　so　much　folly
and　vain　prattle；　the　sanctity　of　her　vision　of　self…devotion
destroyed　by　such　interference；　and　Flora's　promises　did　not　reassure
her。　　She　doubted　Flora's　power；　and　had　still　more　repugnance　to　the
means　by　which　her　sister　tried　to　govern；　they　did　not　seem　to　her
straightforward；　and　she　could　not　endure　Flora's　complacency　in
their　success。　　Had　it　not　been　for　her　real　love　for　the　place　and
people；　as　well　as　the　principle　which　prompted　that　love；　she　could
have　found　it　in　her　heart　to　throw　up　all　concern　with　it；　rather
than　become　a　fellow…worker　with　such　a　conclave。

Such　were　Ethel's　feelings　as　the　pair　walked　down　the　street；　the
one　sister　bright　and　smiling　with　the　good　humour　that　had　endured
many　shocks　all　that　day；　all　good　nature　and　triumph；　looking
forward　to　success；　great　benefit　to　Cocksmoor；　and　plenty　of
management；　with　credit　and　praise　to　herself；　the　other；　downcast
and　irritable；　with　annoyance　at　the　interference　with　her　schemes；
at　the　prospects　of　her　school；　and　at　herself　for　being　out　of
temper；　prone　to　murmur　or　to　reply　tartly；　and　not　able　to　recover
from　her　mood；　but　only；　as　she　neared　the　house；　lapsing　into　her
other　trouble；　and　preparing　to　resist　any　misjudged；　though　kind
attempt　of　her　father；　to　make　her　unsay　her　rebuke　to　Miss　Bracy。
Pride　and　temper！　　Ah！　Etheldred！　where　were　they　now？

Dr。　May　was　at　his　study　door　as　his　daughters　entered　the　hall；　and
Ethel　expected　the　order　which　she　meant　to　question；　but；　instead　of
this；　after　a　brief　inquiry　after　the　doings　of　the　nine　muses；　which
Flora　answered；　so　as　to　make　him　laugh；　he　stopped　Ethel；　as　she　was
going　upstairs；　by　saying；　〃I　do　not　know　whether　this　letter　is
intended　for　Richard；　or　for　me。　　At　any　rate；　it　concerns　you　most。〃

The　envelope　was　addressed　to　the　Reverend　Richard　May；　D。　D。；　Market
Stoneborough；　and　the　letter　began；　〃Reverend　Sir。〃　　So　far　Ethel
saw；　and　exclaimed；　with　amusement；　then；　with　a　long…drawn　　〃Ah！〃
and　an　interjection；　〃My　poor　dear　Una！〃　she　became　absorbed；　the
large　tearsyes；　Ethel's　reluctant　tears　gathering　slowly　and
dropping。

The　letter　was　from　a　clergyman　far　away　in　the　north　of　England；　who
said　he　could　not；　though　a　stranger；　resist　the　desire　to　send　to
Dr。　May　an　account　of　a　poor　girl；　who　seemed　to　have　received　great
benefits　from　him；　or　from　some　of　his　family；　especially　as　she　had
shown　great　eagerness　on　his　proposing　to　write。

He　said　it　was　nearly　a　year　since　there　had　come　into　his　parish　a
troop　of　railwaymen　and　their　families。　　For　the　most　part；　they　were
completely　wild　and　rude；　unused　to　any　pastoral　care；　but；　even　on
the　first　Sunday；　he　had　noticed　a　keen…looking；　freckled；　ragged；
unmistakably　Irish　girl；　creeping　into　church　with　a　Prayer…book　in
her　hand；　and　had　afterwards　found　her　hanging　about　the　door　of　the
school。　　〃I　never　saw　a　more　engaging；　though　droll；　wild　expression；
than　that　with　which　she　looked　up　to　me。〃　　（Ethel's　cry　of　delight
was　at　that　sentenceshe　knew　that　look　too　well；　and　had　yearned
after　it　so　often！）　　〃I　found　her　far　better　instructed　than　her
appearance　had　led　me　to　expect；　and　more　truly　impressed　with　the
spirit　of　what　she　had　learned　than　it　has　often　been　my