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MIDDLEMARCH-Part69_GEORGE ELIOT(1819-1880)_English Literature(文学)-第2页

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There was almost an uproar among the children now, and Mary held

up the cambric embroidery towards her mother entreatingly, that it



might be put out of reach while the boys dragged her into a dance.

Mrs. Garth, in placid joy, began to put the cups and plates together,



while Caleb pushing his chair from the table, as if he were going

to move to the desk, still sat holding his letters in his hand



and looking on the ground meditatively, stretching out the fingers

of his left hand, according to a mute language of his own. At last



he said--

"It's a thousand pities Christy didn't take to business, Susan.



I shall want help by-and-by. And Alfred must go off to the engineering--

I've made up my mind to that." He fell into meditation and



finger-rhetoric again for a little while, and then continued:

"I shall make Brooke have new agreements with the tenants, and I shall



draw up a rotation of crops. And I'll lay a wager we can get fine

bricks out of the clay at Bott's corner. I must look into that:



it would cheapen the repairs. It's a fine bit of work, Susan!

A man without a family would be glad to do it for nothing."



"Mind you don't, though," said his wife, lifting up her finger.

"No, no; but it's a fine thing to come to a man when he's seen



into the nature of business: to have the chance of getting a bit

of the country into good fettle, as they say, and putting men into



the right way with their farming, and getting a bit of good contriving

and solid building done--that those who are living and those who come



after will be the better for. I'd sooner have it than a fortune.

I hold it the most honorable work that is." Here Caleb laid down



his letters, thrust his fingers between the buttons of his waistcoat,

and sat upright, but presently proceeded with some awe in his voice



and moving his head slowly aside--"It's a great gift of God, Susan."

"That it is, Caleb," said his wife, with answering fervor.



"And it will be a blessing to your children to have had a father

who did such work: a father whose good work remains though his name



may be forgotten." She could not say any more to him then about

the pay.



In the evening, when Caleb, rather tired with his day's work,

was seated in silence with his pocket-book open on his knee,



while Mrs. Garth and Mary were at their sewing, and Letty in a corner

was whispering a dialogue with her doll, Mr. Farebrother came up



the orchard walk, dividing the bright August lights and shadows

with the tufted grass and the apple-tree boughs. We know that he



was fond of his parishioners the Garths, and had thought Mary worth

mentioning to Lydgate. He used to the full the clergyman's privilege



of disregarding the Middlemarch discrimination of ranks, and always

told his mother that Mrs. Garth was more of a lady than any matron



in the town. Still, you see, he spent his evenings at the Vincys',

where the matron, though less of a lady, presided over a well-lit



drawing-room and whist. In those days human intercourse was not

determined solely by respect. But the Vicar did heartily respect



the Garths, and a visit from him was no surprise to that family.

Nevertheless he accounted for it even while he was shaking hands,



by saying, "I come as an envoy, Mrs. Garth: I have something

to say to you and Garth on behalf of Fred Vincy. The fact is,



poor fellow," he continued, as he seated himself and looked round

with his bright glance at the three who were listening to him,



"he has taken me into his confidence."

Mary's heart beat rather quickly: she wondered how far Fred's



confidence had gone.

"We haven't seen the lad for months," said Caleb. "I couldn't



think what was become of him."

"He has been away on a visit," said the Vicar, "because home was



a little too hot for him, and Lydgate told his mother that the poor

fellow must not begin to study yet. But yesterday he came and poured



himself out to me. I am very glad he did, because I have seen him

grow up from a youngster of fourteen, and I am so much at home



in the house that the children are like nephews and nieces to me.

But it is a difficult case to advise upon. However, he has



asked me to come and tell you that he is going away, and that he

is so miserable about his debt to you, and his inability to pay,



that he can't bear to come himself even to bid you good by."

"Tell him it doesn't signify a farthing," said Caleb, waving his hand.



"We've had the pinch and have got over it. And now I'm going to be

as rich as a Jew."



"Which means," said Mrs. Garth, smiling at the Vicar, "that we

are going to have enough to bring up the boys well and to keep






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