Mary at home."
"What is the treasure-trove?" said Mr. Farebrother.

"I'm going to be agent for two estates, Freshitt and Tipton;
and perhaps for a pretty little bit of land in Lowick besides:

it's all the same family connection, and employment spreads like water
if it's once set going. It makes me very happy, Mr. Farebrother"--

here Caleb threw back his head a little, and spread his arms on the elbows
of his chair--"that I've got an opportunity again with the letting

of the land, and carrying out a notion or two with improvements.
It's a most uncommonly cramping thing, as I've often told Susan,

to sit on horseback and look over the hedges at the wrong thing,
and not be able to put your hand to it to make it right. What people

do who go into politics I can't think: it drives me almost mad
to see mismanagement over only a few hundred acres."

It was seldom that Caleb volunteered so long a speech, but his
happiness had the effect of mountain air: his eyes were bright,

and the words came without effort.
"I congratulate you heartily, Garth," said the Vicar. "This is

the best sort of news I could have had to carry to Fred Vincy,
for he dwelt a good deal on the injury he had done you in causing

you to part with money--robbing you of it, he said--which you wanted
for other purposes. I wish Fred were not such an idle dog; he has

some very good points, and his father is a little hard upon him."
"Where is he going?" said Mrs. Garth, rather coldly.

"He means to try again for his degree, and he is going up to study
before term. I have advised him to do that. I don't urge him to

enter the Church--on the contrary. But if he will go and work so as
to pass, that will be some guarantee that he has energy and a will;

and he is quite at sea; he doesn't know what else to do. So far he
will please his father, and I have promised in the mean time to try

and reconcile Vincy to his son's adopting some other line of life.
Fred says frankly he is not fit for a clergyman" target="_blank" title="n.牧师；教士">clergyman, and I would do

anything I could to hinder a man from the fatal step of choosing
the wrong profession. He quoted to me what you said, Miss Garth--

do you remember it?" (Mr. Farebrother used to say "Mary" instead
of "Miss Garth," but it was part of his delicacy to treat her

with the more deference because, according to Mrs. Vincy's phrase,
she worked for her bread.)

Mary felt uncomfortable, but, determined to take the matter lightly,
answered at once, "I have said so many impertinent things to Fred--

we are such old playfellows."
"You said, according to him, that he would be one of those

ridiculousclergymen who help to make the whole clergyridiculous.
Really, that was so cutting that I felt a little cut myself."

Caleb laughed. "She gets her tongue from you, Susan," he said,
with some enjoyment.

"Not its flippancy, father," said Mary, quickly, fearing that her
mother would be displeased. "It is rather too bad of Fred to repeat

my flippant speeches to Mr. Farebrother."
"It was certainly a hasty speech, my dear," said Mrs. Garth,

with whom speaking evil of dignities was a high misdemeanor.
"We should not value our Vicar the less because there was a ridiculous

curate in the next parish."
"There's something in what she says, though," said Caleb, not disposed

to have Mary's sharpness undervalued. "A bad workman of any sort
makes his fellows mistrusted. Things hang together," he added,

looking on the floor and moving his feet uneasily with a sense
that words were scantier than thoughts.

"Clearly," said the Vicar, amused. "By being contemptible" target="_blank" title="a.可鄙的；可轻视的">contemptible we set
men's minds, to the tune of contempt. I certainly agree with Miss

Garth's view of the matter, whether I am condemned by it or not.
But as to Fred Vincy, it is only fair he should be excused a little:

old Featherstone's delusive behavior did help to spoil him.
There was something quite diabolical in not leaving him a farthing

after all. But Fred has the good taste not to dwell on that.
And what he cares most about is having offended you, Mrs. Garth;

he supposes you will never think well of him again."
"I have been disappointed in Fred," said Mrs. Garth, with decision.

"But I shall be ready to think well of him again when he gives me
good reason to do so."

At this point Mary went out of the room, taking Letty with her.
"Oh, we must forgive young people when they're sorry," said Caleb,

watching Mary close the door. "And as you say, Mr. Farebrother,
there was the very devil in that old man."

Now Mary's gone out, I must tell you a thing--it's only known
to Susan and me, and you'll not tell it again. The old scoundrel

wanted Mary to burn one of the wills the very night he died,
when she was sitting up with him by herself, and he offered her

a sum of money that he had in the box by him if she would do it.
But Mary, you understand, could do no such thing--would not be handling

his iron chest, and so on. Now, you see, the will he wanted burnt
was this last, so that if Mary had done what he wanted, Fred Vincy

would have had ten thousand pounds. The old man did turn to him
at the last. That touches poor Mary close; she couldn't help it--

she was in the right to do what she did, but she feels, as she says,
much as if she had knocked down somebody's property and broken it

against her will, when she was rightfully defending herself. I feel
with her, somehow, and if I could make any amends to the poor lad,

instead of bearing him a grudge for the harm he did us, I should
be glad to do it. Now, what is your opinion, sir? Susan doesn't

agree with me. She says--tell what you say, Susan."
"Mary could not have acted otherwise, even if she had known what would

be the effect on Fred," said Mrs. Garth, pausing from her work,
and looking at Mr. Farebrother.

"And she was quite ignorant of it. It seems to me, a loss which falls
on another because we have done right is not to lie upon our conscience."

The Vicar did not answer immediately, and Caleb said, "It's the feeling.
The child feels in that way, and I feel with her. You don't mean

your horse to tread on a dog when you're backing out of the way;
but it goes through you, when it's done."

"I am sure Mrs. Garth would agree with you there," said Mr. Farebrother,
who for some reason seemed more inclined to ruminate than to speak.

"One could hardly say that the feeling you mention about Fred
is wrong--or rather, mistaken--though no man ought to make a claim

on such feeling."
"Well, well," said Caleb, "it's a secret. You will not tell Fred."

"Certainly not. But I shall carry the other good news--that you
can afford the loss he caused you."

Mr. Farebrother left the house soon after, and seeing Mary in the
orchard with Letty, went to say good-by to her. They made a pretty

picture in the western light which brought out the brightness of the
apples on the old scant-leaved boughs--Mary in her lavender gingham

and black ribbons holding a basket, while Letty in her well-worn
nankin picked up the fallen apples. If you want to know more

particularly how Mary looked, ten to one you will see a face like hers
in the crowded street to-morrow, if you are there on the watch:

she will not be among those daughters of Zion who are haughty,
and walk with stretched-out necks and wanton eyes, mincing as they go:

let all those pass, and fix your eyes on some small plump brownish
person of firm but quiet carriage, who looks about her, but does

not suppose that anybody is looking at her. If she has a broad
face and square brow, well-marked eyebrows and curly dark hair,

a certain expression of amusement in her glance which her mouth keeps
the secret of, and for the rest features entirely insignificant--

take that ordinary but not disagreeable person for a portrait
of Mary Garth. If you made her smile, she would show you perfect