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as a boast。  He would scarcely have thus spoken to any one but
Etheldred; to whom; as well as to himself; it seemed mere matter…of…
fact。  The others had in the meantime halted at the top of the hill;
and were looking back at the townthe great old Minster; raising its
twin towers and long roof; close to the river; where rich green
meadows spread over the valley; and the town rising irregularly on
the slope above; plentifully interspersed with trees and gardens; and
one green space on the banks of the river; speckled over with a flock
of little black dots in rapid motion。

〃Here you are!〃 exclaimed Flora。  〃I told them it was of no use to
wait when you and Norman had begun a dissertation。〃

〃Now; Mr。 Ernescliffe; I should like you to say;〃 cried Ethel; 〃which
do you think is the best; the name of it; or the thing?〃  Her
eloquence always broke down with any auditor but her brother; or;
perhaps; Margaret。

〃Ethel!〃 said Norman; 〃how is any one to understand you?  The
argument is this: Ethel wants people to do great deeds; and be
utterly careless of the fame of them; I say; that love of glory is a
mighty spring。〃

〃A mighty one!〃 said Alan: 〃but I think; as far as I understand the
question; that Ethel has the best of it。〃

〃I don't mean that people should not serve the cause first of all;〃
said Norman; 〃but let them have their right place and due honour。〃

〃They had better make up their minds to do without it;〃 said Alan。
〃Remember


       〃The world knows nothing of its greatest men。〃


〃Then it is a great shame;〃 said Norman。

〃But do you think it right;〃 said Ethel; 〃to care for distinction?
It is a great thing to earn it; but I don't think one should care for
the outer glory。〃

〃I believe it is a great temptation;〃 said Alan。  〃The being over…
elated or over…depressed by success or failure in the eyes of the
world; independently of the exertion we have used。〃

〃You call it a temptation?〃 said Ethel。

〃Decidedly so。〃

〃But one can't live or get on without it;〃 said Norman。

There they were cut short。  There was a plantation to be crossed;
with a gate that would not open; and that seemed an effectual barrier
against both Miss Winter and the donkey; until by persuasive
eloquence and great gallantry; Mr。 Ernescliffe performed the
wonderful feat of getting the former over the tall fence; while
Norman conducted the donkey a long way round; undertaking to meet
them at the other side of the plantation。

The talk became desultory; as they proceeded for at least a mile
along a cart…track through soft…tufted grass and heath and young fir…
trees。  It ended in a broad open moor; stony; and full of damp boggy
hollows; forlorn and desolate under the autumn sky。  Here they met
Norman again; and walked on along a very rough and dirty road; the
ground growing more decidedly into hills and valleys as they
advanced; till they found themselves before a small; but very steep
hillock; one side of which was cut away into a slate quarry。  Round
this stood a colony of roughly…built huts; of mud; turf; or large
blocks of the slate。  Many workmen were engaged in splitting up the
slates; or loading wagons with them; rude wild…looking men; at the
sight of whom the ladies shrank up to their protectors; but who
seemed too busy even to spare time for staring at them。

They were directed to John Taylor's house; a low mud cottage; very
wretched looking; and apparently so smoky that Mr。 Ernescliffe and
Norman were glad to remain outside and survey the quarry; while the
ladies entered。

Inside they found more cleanliness and neatness than they had
expected; but there was a sad appearance of poverty; insufficient
furniture; and the cups and broken tea…pot on the table; holding
nothing but toast and water; as a substitute for their proper
contents。  The poor woman was sitting by the fire with one twin on
her lap; and the other on a chair by her side; and a larger child was
in the corner by the fire; looking heavy and ill; while others of
different ages lounged about listlessly。  She was not untidy; but
very pale; and she spoke in a meek; subdued way; as if the ills of
life were so heavy on her that she had no spirit even to complain。
She thanked them for their gifts but languidly; and did not visibly
brighten when told that her husband was better。

Flora asked when the babes would be christened。

〃I can't hardly tell; Miss'tis so far to go。〃

〃I suppose none of the children can go to school?  I don't know their
faces there;〃 said Flora; looking at a nice tall; smooth…haired girl
of thirteen or fourteen。

〃No; Miss'tis so far。  I am sorry they should not; for they always
was used to it where we lived before; and my oldest girl she can work
very nicely。  I wish I could get a little place for her。〃

〃You would hardly know what to do without her;〃 said Miss Winter。

〃No; ma'am; but she wants better food than I can give her; and it is
a bad wild place for a girl to grow up。  It is not like what I was
used to; ma'am; I was always used to keep to my school and to my
churchbut it is a bad place to live in here。〃

No one could deny it; and the party left the cottage gravely。  Alan
and Norman joined them; having heard a grievous history of the
lawlessness of the people from a foreman with whom they had met。
There seemed to be no visible means of improvement。  The parish
church was Stoneborough; and there the living was very poor; the
tithes having been appropriated to the old Monastery; and since its
dissolution having fallen into possession of a Body that never did
anything for the town。  The incumbent; Mr。 Ramsden; had small means;
and was not a high stamp of clergyman; seldom exerting himself; and
leaving most of his parish work to the two under masters of the
school; Mr。 Wilmot and Mr。 Harrison; who did all they had time and
strength for; and more too; within the town itself。  There was no
hope for Cocksmoor!

〃There would be a worthy ambition!〃 said Etheldred; as they turned
their steps homeward。  〃Let us propose that aim to ourselves; to
build a church on Cocksmoor!〃

〃How many years do you give us to do it in?〃 said Norman。

〃Few or many; I don't care。  I'll never leave off thinking about it
till it is done。〃

〃It need not be long;〃 said Flora; 〃if one could get up a
subscription。〃

〃A penny subscription?〃 said Norman。  〃I'd rather have it my own
doing。〃

〃You agree then;〃 said Ethel; 〃do you; Mr。 Ernescliffe?〃

〃I may safely do so;〃 he answered; smiling。  Miss Winter looked at
Etheldred reprovingly; and she shrank into herself; drew apart; and
indulged in a reverie。  She had heard in books of girls writing
poetry; romance; historygaining fifties and hundreds。  Could not
some of the myriads of fancies floating in her mind thus be made
available?  She would compose; publish; earn moneysome day call
papa; show him her hoard; beg him to take it; and; never owning
whence it came; raise the building。  Spire and chancel; pinnacle and
buttress; rose before her eyes; and she and Norman were standing in
the porch with an orderly; religious population; blessing the unknown
benefactor; who had caused the news of salvation to be heard among
them。

They were almost at home; when the sight of a crowd in the main
street checked them。  Norman and Mr。 Ernescliffe went forward to
discover the cause; and spoke to some one on the outskirtsthen Mr。
Ernescliffe hurried back to the ladies。

〃There's been an accident;〃 he said hastily〃you had better go down
the lane and in by the garden。〃

He was gone in an instant; and they obeyed in silence。  Whence came
Ethel's certainty that the accident concerned themselves?  In an
agony of apprehension; though without one outward sign of it; she
walked home。  They were in the gardenall was apparently as usual;
but no one was in sight。  Ethel had been first; but she held back;
and let Miss Winter go forward into the house。  The front door was
openservants were standing about in confusion; and one of the
maids; looking dreadfully frightened; gave a cry; 〃Oh! MissMiss
have you heard?〃

〃Nowhat?  What has happened?  Not Mrs。 May〃 exclaimed Miss
Winter。

〃Oh; ma'am! it is all of them。  The carriage is overturned; and〃

〃Who's hurt?  Mamma! papa!  Oh; tell me!〃 cried Flora。

〃There's nurse;〃 and Ethel flew up to her。  〃What is it?  Oh; nurse!〃

〃My poor; poor children;〃 said old nurse; passionately kissing Ethel。
Harry and Mary were on the stairs behind her; clinging together。

A stranger looked into the house; followed by Adams; the stableman。
〃They are going to bring Miss May in;〃 some one said。

Ethel could bear it no longer。  As if she could escape; she fled
upstairs into her room; and; falling on her knees; hid her face on
her bed。

There were heavy steps in the house; then a sound of hasty feet
coming up to her。  Norman dashed into the room; and threw himself on
a chair。  He was ghastly pale; and shuddered all over。

〃Oh; Norman; Norman; speak!  What is it?〃  He groaned; but could not
speak; he rested his head against her; and gasped。 She was terribly
frightened。  〃I'll call〃 and she would have gone; but he held her。
〃Nonothey can't!〃  He was prevented from saying mor

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