the daisy chain, or aspirations-第140节

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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
George　Rivers；　he　had　nobody　to　speak　to。　　However；　he　was　a　good
deal　tranquillised　by　an　introduction　to　Dr。　Spencer's　laboratory；
where　he　compounded　mixtures　that　Dr。　Spencer　promised　should　do　no
more　harm　than　was　reasonable　to　himself；　or　any　one　else。　　Ethel
suspected　that；　if　Tom　had　chanced　to　singe　his　eyebrows；　his　friend
would　not　have　regretted　a　blight　to　his　nascent　coxcombry；　but　he
was　far　too　careful　of　his　own　beauty　to　do　any　such　thing。

Richard　was　set　at　liberty　just　before　Easter；　and　came　home　to　his
new　charge。　　He　was　aware　of　what　had　taken　place；　and　heartily
grateful　for　the　part　his　father　had　taken。　　To　work　at　Cocksmoor；
under　Mr。　Wilmot；　and　to　live　at　home；　was　felicity；　and　he　fitted　at
once　into　his　old　place；　and　resumed　all　the　little　home　services　for
which　he　had　been　always　famed。　　Ethel　was　certain　that　Margaret　was
content；　when　she　saw　her　brother　bending　over　her；　and　the　sense　of
reliance　and　security　that　the　presence　of　the　silent　Richard
imparted　to　the　whole　family　was　something　very　peculiar；　especially
as　they　were　so　much　more　active　and　demonstrative　than　he　was。

Mr。　Wilmot　put　him　at　once　in　charge　of　the　hamlet。　　The　inhabitants
were　still　a　hard；　rude；　unpromising　race；　and　there　were　many
flagrant　evils　amongst　them；　but　the　last　few　years　had　not　been
without　some　effectsome　were　less　obdurate；　a　few　really　touched；
and；　almost　all；　glad　of　instruction　for　their　children。　　If　Ethel's
perseverance　had　done　nothing　else；　it　had；　at　least；　been　a　witness；
and　her　immediate　scholars　showed　the　influence　of　her　lessons。




CHAPTER　XVI。



Then　out　into　the　world；　my　course　I　did　determine；
Though；　to　be　rich　was　not　my　wish；　yet　to　be　great　was　charming。
My　talents　they　were　not　the　worst；　nor　yet　my　education；
Resolved　was　I；　at　least　to　try；　to　mend　my　situation。BURNS。


In　the　meantime；　the　session　of　Parliament　had　begun；　and　the　Rivers'
party　had；　since　February；　inhabited　Park　Lane。　　Meta　had　looked　pale
and　pensive；　as　she　bade　her　friends　at　Stoneborough　good…bye；　but
only　betrayed　that　she　had　rather　have　stayed　at　home；　by　promising
herself　great　enjoyment　in　meeting　them　again　at　Easter。

Flora　was；　on　the　other　hand；　in　the　state　of　calm　patronage　that
betokened　perfect　satisfaction。　　She　promised　wonders　for　Miss
Bracy's　sisterstalked　of　inviting　Mary　and　Blanche　to　see　sights
and　take　lessons；　and　undertook　to　send　all　the　apparatus　needed　by
Cocksmoor　school；　and　she　did；　accordingly；　send　down　so　many
wonderful　articles；　that　curate　and　schoolmistress　were　both
frightened；　Mrs。　Taylor　thought　the　easels　were　new…fashioned
instruments　of　torture；　and　Ethel　found　herself　in　a　condition　to　be
liberal　to　Stoneborough　National　School。

Flora　was　a　capital　correspondent；　and　made　it　her　business　to　keep
Margaret　amused；　so　that　the　home…party　were　well　informed　of　the
doings　of　each　of　her　daysand　very　clever　her　descriptions　were。
She　had　given　herself　a　dispensation　from　general　society　until　after
Easter；　but；　in　the　meantime；　both　she　and　Meta　seemed　to　find　great
enjoyment　in　country　rides　and　drives；　and　in　quiet　little　dinners　at
home；　to　George's　agreeable　political　friends。　　With　the　help　of　two
such　ladies　as　Mrs。　and　Miss　Rivers；　Ethel　could　imagine　George's
house　pleasant　enough　to　attract　clever　people；　but　she　was　surprised
to　find　how　full　her　sister's　letters　were　of　political　news。

It　was　a　period　when　great　interests　were　in　agitation；　and　the
details　of　London　talk　and　opinions　were　extremely　welcome。　　Dr。
Spencer　used　to　come　in　to　ask　after　〃Mrs。　Rivers's　Intelligencer〃；
and；　when　he　heard　the　lucid　statements；　would　say；　she　ought　to　have
been　a　〃special　correspondent。〃　　And　her　father　declared　that　her
news　made　him　twice　as　welcome　to　his　patients；　but　her　cleverest
sentences　always　were　prefaced　with　〃George　says；〃　or　〃George
thinks；〃　in　a　manner　that　made　her　appear　merely　the　dutiful　echo　of
his　sentiments。

In　an　early　letter；　Flora　mentioned　how　she　had　been　remin