"There is no knowing what sacrifices you would not have made," saidher brother-in-law. "Even a dinner-party! and the delight of wearing thisvery becoming dress."
Edith did not know whether to frown or to smile. But it did not suit Mr.
Lennox to drive her to the first of these alternatives; so he went on.
"Will you show your readiness to make sacrifices to-morrow morning,first by asking me to breakfast, to meet Mr. Bell, and secondly, bybeing so kind as to order it at half-past nine, instead of ten o"clock? Ihave some letters and papers that I want to show to Miss Hale and Mr.
Bell."
"I hope Mr. Bell will make our house his own during his stay inLondon," said Captain Lennox. "I am only so sorry we cannot offer hima bed-room."
"Thank you. I am much obliged to you. You would only think me achurl if you had, for I should decline it, I believe, in spite of all thetemptations of such agreeable company," said Mr. Bell, bowing allround, and secretly congratulating himself on the neat turn he had givento his sentence, which, if put into plain language, would have beenmore to this effect: "I couldn"t stand the restraints of such a proper-behaved and civil-spoken set of people as these are: it would be likemeat without salt. I"m thankful they haven"t a bed. And how well Irounded my sentence! I am absolutely catching the trick of goodmanners"
His self-satisfaction lasted him till he was fairly out in the streets,walking side by side with Henry Lennox. Here he suddenlyremembered Margaret"s little look of entreaty as she urged him to staylonger, and he also recollected a few hints given him long ago by anacquaintance of Mr. Lennox"s, as to his admiration of Margaret. It gavea new direction to his thoughts. "You have known Miss Hale for a longtime, I believe. How do you think her looking? She strikes me as paleand ill."
"I thought her looking remarkably well. Perhaps not when I first came in-now I think of it. But certainly, when she grew animated, she looked aswell as ever I saw her do."
"She has had a great deal to go through," said Mr. Bell.
"Yes! I have been sorry to hear of all she has had to bear; not merely thecommon and universal sorrow arising from death, but all the annoyancewhich her father"s conduct must have caused her, and then----"
"Her father"s conduct!" said Mr. Bell, in an accent of surprise. "You musthave heard some wrong statement. He behaved in the mostconscientious manner. He showed more resolute strength than I shouldever have given him credit for formerly."
"Perhaps I have been wrongly informed. But I have been told, by hissuccessor in the living--a clever, sensible man, and a thoroughly activeclergyman--that there was no call upon Mr. Hale to do what he did,relinquish the living, and throw himself and his family on the tendermercies of private teaching in a manufacturing town; the bishop hadoffered him another living, it is true, but if he had come to entertaincertain doubts, he could have remained where he was, and so had nooccasion to resign. But the truth is, these country clergymen live suchisolated lives--isolated, I mean, from all intercourse with men of equalcultivation with themselves, by whose minds they might regulate theirown, and discover when they were going either too fast or too slow-thatthey are very apt to disturb themselves with imaginary doubts as tothe articles of faith, and throw up certain opportunities of doing goodfor very uncertain fancies of their own."
"I differ from you. I do not think they are very apt to do as my poorfriend Hale did." Mr. Bell was inwardly chafing.
"Perhaps I used too general an expression, in saying "very apt." Butcertainly, their lives are such as very often to produce either inordinateself-sufficiency, or a morbid state of conscience," replied Mr. Lennoxwith perfect coolness.
"You don"t meet with any self-sufficiency among the lawyers, forinstance?" asked Mr. Bell. "And seldom, I imagine, any cases of morbidconscience." He was becoming more and more vexed, and forgetting hislately-caught trick of good manners. Mr. Lennox saw now that he hadannoyed his companion; and as he had talked pretty much for the sakeof saying something, and so passing the time while their road laytogether, he was very indifferent as to the exact side he took upon thequestion, and quietly came round by saying: "To be sure, there issomething fine in a man of Mr. Hale"s age leaving his home of twentyyears, and giving up all settled habits, for an idea which was probablyerroneous--but that does not matter--an untangible thought. One cannothelp admiring him, with a mixture of pity in one"s admiration,something like what one feels for Don Quixote. Such a gentleman as hewas too! I shall never forget the refined and simple hospitality heshowed to me that last day at Helstone."
Only half mollified, and yet anxious, in order to lull certain qualms ofhis own conscience, to believe that Mr. Hale"s conduct had a tinge ofQuixotism in it, Mr. Bell growled out--"Aye! And you don"t knowMilton. Such a change from Helstone! It is years since I have been atHelstone--but I"ll answer for it, it is standing there yet--every stick andevery stone as it has done for the last century, while Milton! I go thereevery four or five years--and I was born there--yet I do assure you, Ioften lose my way--aye, among the very piles of warehouses that arebuilt upon my father"s orchard. Do we part here? Well, good night, sir; Isuppose we shall meet in Harley Street to-morrow morning."