`Why don't your children come in, Bessy?' said Mrs Pullet, at the mention of Maggie.`They should hear what their aunts and uncles have got to say:
- and Maggie - when it's me as have paid for half her schooling, she ought to think more of her aunt Pullet nor of aunt Mosses.I may go off sudden when I get home to-day - there's no telling.'
`If I'd had my way,' said Mrs Glegg, `the children 'ud ha'been in the room from the first.It's time they knew who they've to look to, and it's right as somebody should talk to 'em, and let 'em know their condition i' life, and what they're come down to, and make 'em feel as they've got to suffer for their father's faults.'
`Well, I'll go and fetch 'em, sister,' said Mrs Tulliver, resignedly;she was quite crushed now, and thought of the treasures in the store-room with no other feeling than blank despair.
She went upstairs to fetch Tom and Maggie, who were both in their father's room, and was on her way down again, when the sight of the store-room door suggested a new thought to her.She went towards it and left the children to go down by themselves.
The aunts and uncles appeared to have been in warm discussion when the brother and sister entered - both with shrinking reluctance; for though Tom with a practical sagacity which had been roused into activity by the strong stimulus of the new emotions he had undergone since yesterday, had been turning over in his mind a plan which he meant to propose to one of his aunts or uncles, he felt by no means amicably towards them and dreaded meeting them all at once, as he would have dreaded a large dose of concentrated physic which was but just endurable in small draughts.As for Maggie, she was peculiarly depressed this morning: she had been called up, after brief rest, at three o'clock, and had that strange dreamy weariness which comes from watching in a sick-room through the chill hours of early twilight and breaking day - in which the outside day-light life seems to have no importance and to be a mere margin to the hours in the darkened chamber.
Their entrance interrupted the conversation.The shaking of hands was a melancholy and silent ceremony, till uncle Pullet observed, as Tom approached him--`Well, young sir, we've been talking as we should want your pen and ink; you can write rarely now after all your schooling, I should think.'
`Ay, ay,' said uncle Glegg, with admonition which he meant to be kind, `we must look to see the good of all this schooling, as your father's sunk so much money in now.`When land is gone and money spent Then learning is most excellent -' Now's the time, Tom, to let us see the good o' your learning.Let us see whether you can do better than I can, as have made my fortin without it.
But I began wi' doing with little, you see: I could live on a basin o'
porridge and a crust o' bread and cheese.But I doubt high living and high learning 'ull make it harder for you, young man, nor it was for me.'
`But he must do it,' interposed aunt Glegg, energetically, `whether it's hard or no.He hasn't got to consider what's hard - he must consider as he isn't to trusten to his friends to keep him in idleness and luxury:
he's got to bear the fruits o' his father's misconduct, and bring his mind to fare hard and to work hard.And he must be humble and grateful to his aunts and uncles for what they're doing for his mother and father, as must be turned out into the streets and go to the workhouse if they didn't help 'em.And his sister, too,' continued Mrs Glegg, looking severely at Maggie, who had sat down on the sofa by her aunt Deane, drawn to her by the sense that she was Lucy's mother, `She must make up her mind to be humble and work; for there'll be no servants to wait on her any more - she must remember that.She must do the work o' the house, and she must respect and love her aunts, as have done so much for her, and saved their money to leave to their nevvies and nieces.'
Tom was still standing before the table in the centre of the group.
There was a heightened colour in his face, and he was very far from looking humbled, but he was preparing to say, in a respectful tone, something he had previously meditated, when the door opened and his mother re-entered.
Poor Mrs Tulliver had in her hands a small tray on which she had placed her silver tea-pot, a specimen tea-cup and saucer, the castors, and sugar tongs.
`See here, sister,' she said, looking at Mrs Deane, as she set the tray on the table, `I thought, perhaps, if you looked at the tea-pot again -it's a good while since you saw it - you might like the pattern better:
it makes beautiful tea, and there's a stand and everything: you might use it for every day, or else lay it by for Lucy when she goes to house-keeping.
I should be so loth for 'em to buy it at the Golden Lion,' said the poor woman, her heart swelling, and the tears coming, `my tea-pot as I bought when I was married, and to think o' its being scratched, and set before the travellers and folks - and my letters on it - see here - E.D.- and everybody to see 'em.'
`Ah, dear, dear!' said aunt Pullet, shaking her head with deep sadness, `it's very bad - to think o' the family initials going about everywhere.
It niver was so before: you're a very unlucky sister, Bessy! But what's the use o'buying the tea-pot - when there's the linen and spoons and everything to go, and some of 'em with your full name - and when it's got that straight spout too.'
`As to disgrace o' the family,' said Mrs Glegg, `that can't be helped wi' buying tea-pots.The disgrace is, for one o'the family to ha' married a man as has brought her to beggary.The disgrace is as they're to be sold up.We can't hinder the country from knowing that.'
Maggie had started up from the sofa at the allusion to her father, but Tom saw her action and flushed face in time to prevent her from speaking.