the daisy chain, or aspirations-第157章

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————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


to　be　upset；　as　they　all　itturned　out　of　their　places　in　church；
and　they　will　not　run　the　chance。〃

〃The　church　must　come　to　them；〃　said　Mr。　Wilmot。　　〃Could　the　school
be　made　fit　to　be　licensed　for　service。〃

〃Ask　our　architect；〃　said　Dr。　May。　　〃There　can　be　little　doubt。〃

〃I　have　been　settling　that　I　must　have　a　curate　specially　for
Cocksmoor；〃　said　Mr。　Wilmot。　　〃Can　you　tell　me　of　one；　Ethelor
perhaps　Margaret　could？〃

Margaret　could　only　smile　faintly；　for　her　heart　was　beating。

〃Seriously；〃　said　Mr。　Wilmot；　turning　to　Dr。　May；　〃do　you　think
Richard　would　come　and　help　us　here？〃

〃This　seems　to　be　his　destiny；〃　said　the　doctor；　smiling；　〃only　it
would　not　be　fair　to　tell　you；　lest　you　should　be　jealousthat　the
Town　Council　had　a　great　mind　for　him。〃

The　matter　was　explained；　and　Mr。　Wilmot　was　a　great　deal　more　struck
by　Dr。　May's　conduct　than　the　good　doctor　thought　it　deserved。　　Every
one　was　only　too　glad　that　Richard　should　come　as　Cocksmoor　curate；
and；　though　the　stipend　was　very　smallsince　Mr。　Wilmot　meant　to
have　other　assistanceyet；　by　living　at　home；　it　might　be　feasible。

Margaret's　last　words　that　night　to　Ethel　were；　〃The　last　wish　I　had
dared　to　make　is　granted！〃

Mr。　Wilmot　wrote　to　Richard；　who　joyfully　accepted　his　proposal；　and
engaged　to　come　home　as　soon　as　his　present　rector　could　find　a
substitute。

Dr。　Spencer　was　delighted；　and；　it　appeared；　had　already　had　a　view
to　such　possibilities　in　designing　the　plan　of　the　school。

The　first　good　effect　of　Mr。　Wilmot's　coming　was；　that　Dr。　Spencer
was　cured　of　the　vagrant　habits　of　going　to　church　at　Abbotstoke　or
Fordholm；　that　had　greatly　concerned　his　friend。　　Dr。　May；　who　could
never　get　any　answer　from　him　except　that　he　was　not　a　Town
Councillor；　and；　as　to　example；　it　was　no　way　to　set　that　to　sleep
through　the　sermon。

To　say　that　Dr。　May　never　slept　under　the　new　dynasty　would　be　an
over…statement；　but　slumber　certainly　prevailed　in　the　minster　to　a
far　less　degree　than　formerly。　　One　cause　might　be　that　it　was　not
shut　up　unaired　from　one　Sunday　to　another；　but　that　the　chime　of　the
bells　was　no　longer　an　extraordinary　sound　on　a　week…day。　　It　was　at
first　pronounced　that　time　could　not　be　found　for　going　to　church　on
week…days　without　neglecting　other　things；　but　Mary；　who　had　lately
sat　very　loose　to　the　schoolroom；　began　gradually　to　slip　down　to
church　whenever　the　service　was　neither　too　early　nor　too　late；　and
Gertrude　was　often　found　trotting　by　her　sidegoing　to　mamma；　as　the
little　Daisy　called　it；　from　some　confusion　between　the　church　and
the　cloister；　which　Ethel　was　in　no　hurry　to　disturb。

Lectures　in　Lent　filled　the　church　a　good　deal；　as　much　perhaps　from
the　novelty　as　from　better　motives；　and　altogether　there　was　a
renewal　of　energy　in　parish　work。　　The　poor　had　become　so　little
accustomed　to　pastoral　care；　that　the　doctors　and　the　district
visitors　were　obliged　to　report　cases　of　sickness　to　the　clergy；　and
vainly　tried　to　rouse　the　people　to　send　of　their　own　accord。
However；　the　better　leaven　began　to　work；　and；　of　course；　there　was　a
ferment；　though　less　violent　than　Ethel　had　expected。

Mr。　Wilmot　set　more　cautiously　to　work　than　he　had　done　in　his
younger　days；　and　did　not　attack　prejudices　so　openly；　and　he　had　an
admirable　assistant　in　Dr。　Spencer。　　Every　one　respected　the　opinion
of　the　travelled　doctor；　and　he　had　a　courteous　clever　process　of　the
reduction　to　the　absurd；　which　seldom　failed　to　tell；　while　it　never
gave　offence。　　As　to　the　Ladies'　Committee；　though　there　had　been
expressions　of　dismay；　when　the　tidings　of　the　appointment　first　went
abroad；　not　one　of　the　whole　〃Aonian　choir〃　liked　to　dissent　from　Dr。
Spencer；　and　he　talked　them　over；　individually；　into　a　most
conformable　state；　merely　by　taking　their　compliance　for　granted；　and
showing　that　he　deemed　it　only　the　natural　state　of　things；　that　the
vicar　should　reign　over　the　charities　of　the　place。

The　committee　was　not　dissolvedthat　would　have　been　an　act　of
violencebut　it　was　henceforth　subject　to　Mr。　Wilmot；　and　he　and　his
curates　undertook　the　religious　instruction　in　the　week；　and　chose
the　booksa　state　of　affairs　brought　about　with　so　much　quietness；
that　Ethel　knew　not　whether　Flora；　Dr。　Spencer；　or　Mr。　Wilmot　had
been　the　chief　mover。

Mrs。　Ledwich　was　made　treasurer　of　a　new　coal　club；　and　Miss　Rich
keeper　of　the　lending…library；　occupations　which　delighted　them
greatly；　and　Ethel　was　surprised　to　find　how　much　unity　of　action　was
springing　up；　now　that　the　period　was　over；　of　each　〃doing　right　in
her　own　eyes。〃

〃In　fact；〃　said　Dr。　Spencer；　〃when　women　have　enough　to　do；　they　are
perfectly　tractable。〃

The　Cocksmoor　accounts　were　Ethel's　chief　anxiety。　　It　seemed　as　if
now　there　might　be　a　school…house；　but　with　little　income　to　depend
upon；　since　poor　Alan　Ernescliffe's　annual　ten　pounds　was　at　an　end。
However；　Dr。　May　leaned　over　her　as　she　was　puzzling　over　her　pounds；
shillings；　and　pence；　and　laid　a　cheque　upon　her　desk。　　She　looked　up
in　his　face。　　〃We　must　make　Cocksmoor　Harry's　heir；〃　he　said。

By　and　by　it　appeared　that　Cocksmoor　was　not　out　of　Hector
Ernescliffe's　mind。　　The　boy's　letters　to　Margaret　had　been　brief；
matter…of…fact；　and　discouraging；　as　long　as　the　half…year　lasted；
and　there　was　not　much　to　be　gathered　about　him　from　Tom；　on　his
return　for　the　Easter　holidays；　but　soon　poor　Hector　wrote　a　long
dismal　letter　to　Margaret。

Captain　Gordon　had　taken　him　to　Maplewood；　where　the　recollection　of
his　brother；　and　the　happy　hopes　with　which　they　had　taken
possession；　came　thronging　upon　him。　　The　house　was　forlorn；　and　the
corner　that　had　been　unpacked　for　their　reception；　was　as　dreary　a
contrast　to　the　bright　home　at　Stoneborough；　as　was　the　dry；　stern
captain；　to　the　fatherly　warm…hearted　doctor。　　Poor　Hector　had　little
or　nothing　to　do；　and　the　pleasure　of　possession　had　not　come　yet；　he
had　no　companion　of　his　own　age；　and　bashfulness　made　him　shrink　with
dislike　from　introduction　to　his　tenants　and　neighbours。

There　was　not　an　entertaining　book　in　the　house；　he　declared；　and　the
captain　snubbed　him；　if　he　bought　anything　he　cared　to　read。　　The
captain　was　always　at　him　to　read　musty　old　improving　books；　and
talking　about　the　position　he　would　occupy。　　The　evenings　were
altogether　unbearable；　and　if　it　were　not　for　rabbit　shooting　now；
and　the　half…year　soon　beginning　again；　Hector　declared　he　should　be
ready　to　cut　and　run；　and　leave　Captain　Gordon　and　Maplewood　to　each
otherand　very　well　matched　too！　　He　was　nearly　in　a　state　of　mind
to　imitate　that　unprecedented　boy；　who　wrote　a　letter　to　'The　Times'；
complaining　of　extra　weeks。

As　to　Cocksmoor；　Ethel　must　not　think　it　forgotten；　he　had　spoken　to
the　captain　about　it；　and　the　old　wooden…head　had　gone　and　answered
that　it　was　not　incumbent　on　him；　that　Cocksmoor　had　no　claims　upon
him；　and　he　could　not　make　it　up　out　of　his　allowance；　for　the　old
fellow　would　not　give　him　a　farthing　more　than　he　had　before；　and　had
said　that　was　too　much。

There　was　a　great　blur　over　the　words　〃wooden…head；〃　as　if　Hector　had
known　that　Margaret　would　disapprove；　and　had　tried　to　scratch　it
out。　　She　wrote　all　the　consolation　in　her　power；　and　exhorted　him　to
patience；　apparently　without　much　effect。　　She　would　not　show　his
subsequent　letters；　and　the　reading　and　answering　them　fatigued　her
so　much；　that　Hector's　writing　was　an　unwelcome　sight　at
Stoneborough。　　Each　letter；　as　Ethel　said；　seemed　so　much　taken　out
of　her；　and　she　begged　her　not　to　think　about　them。

〃Nothing　can　do　me　much　good　or　harm　now；〃　said　Margaret；　and　seeing
Ethel's　anxious　looks；　〃Is　it　not　my　greatest　comfort　that　Hector　can
still　treat　me　as　his　sister；　or；　if　I　can　only　be　of　any　use　in
keeping　him　patient？　　Only　think　of　the　danger　of　a　boy；　in　his
situation；　being　left　without　sympathy！〃

There　was　nothing　more　to　be　said。　　They　all　felt　it　was　good　for
them　that　the　building　at　Cocksmoor　gave　full　occupation　to　thoughts
and　conversation；　indeed；　Tom　declared　they　never　walked　in　any　other
direction；　nor　talked　of　anything　else；　and　that　without　Hector；　or
G