"Mr. Bell," said he, "before you speak so, you should remember that allmen are not as free to express what they feel as you are. Let us talk ofsomething else." For though his heart leaped up, as at a trumpet-call, toevery word that Mr. Bell had said, and though he knew that what he hadsaid would henceforward bind the thought of the old Oxford Fellowclosely up with the most precious things of his heart, yet he would notbe forced into any expression of what he felt towards Margaret. He wasno mocking-bird of praise, to try because another extolled what hereverenced and passionately loved, to outdo him in laudation. So heturned to some of the dry matters of business that lay between Mr. Belland him, as landlord and tenant.
"What is that heap of brick and mortar we came against in the yard? Anyrepairs wanted?"
"No, none, thank you."
"Are you building on your own account? If you are, I"m very muchobliged to you."
"I"m building a dining-room--for the men I mean--the hands."
"I thought you were hard to please, if this room wasn"t good enough tosatisfy you, a bachelor."
"I"ve got acquainted with a strange kind of chap, and I put one or twochildren in whom he is interested to school. So, as I happened to bepassing near his house one day, I just went there about some triflingpayment to be made; and I saw such a miserable black frizzle of adinner--a greasy cinder of meat, as first set me a-thinking. But it wasnot till provisions grew so high this winter that I bethought me how, bybuying things wholesale, and cooking a good quantity of provisionstogether, much money might be saved, and much comfort gained. So Ispoke to my friend--or my enemy--the man I told you of--and he foundfault with every detail of my plan; and in consequence I laid it aside,both as impracticable, and also because if I forced it into operation Ishould be interfering with the independence of my men; when,suddenly, this Higgins came to me and graciously signified his approvalof a scheme so nearly the same as mine, that I might fairly have claimedit; and, moreover, the approval of several of his fellow-workmen, towhom he had spoken. I was a little "riled," I confess, by his manner,and thought of throwing the whole thing overboard to sink or swim. Butit seemed childish to relinquish a plan which I had once thought wiseand well-laid, just because I myself did not receive all the honour andconsequence due to the originator. So I coolly took the part assigned tome, which is something like that of steward to a club. I buy in theprovisions wholesale, and provide a fitting matron or cook."
"I hope you give satisfaction in your new capacity. Are you a goodjudge of potatoes and onions? But I suppose Mrs. Thornton assists youin your marketing."
"Not a bit," replied Mr. Thornton. "She disapproves of the whole plan,and now we never mention it to each other. But I manage pretty well,getting in great stocks from Liverpool, and being served in butcher"smeat by our own family butcher. I can assure you, the hot dinners thematron turns out are by no means to be despised."
"Do you taste each dish as it goes in, in virtue of your office? I hope youhave a white wand."
"I was very scrupulous, at first, in confining myself to the merepurchasing part, and even in that I rather obeyed the men"s ordersconveyed through the housekeeper, than went by my own judgment. Atone time, the beef was too large, at another the mutton was not fatenough. I think they saw how careful I was to leave them free, and notto intrude my own ideas upon them; so, one day, two or three of themen--my friend Higgins among them--asked me if I would not come inand take a snack. It was a very busy day, but I saw that the men wouldbe hurt if, after making the advance, I didn"t meet them half-way, so Iwent in, and I never made a better dinner in my life. I told them (mynext neighbours I mean, for I"m no speech-maker) how much I"denjoyed it; and for some time, whenever that especial dinner recurred intheir dietary, I was sure to be met by these men, with a "Master, there"shot-pot for dinner to-day, win yo" come?" If they had not asked me, Iwould no more have intruded on them than I"d have gone to the mess atthe barracks without invitation."
"I should think you were rather a restraint on your hosts" conversation.
They can"t abuse the masters while you"re there. I suspect they take itout on non-hot-pot days."
"Well! hitherto we"ve steered clear of all vexed questions. But if any ofthe old disputes came up again, I would certainly speak out my mindnext hot-pot day. But you are hardly acquainted with our Darkshirefellows, for all you"re a Darkshire man yourself They have such a senseof humour, and such a racy mode of expression! I am getting really toknow some of them now, and they talk pretty freely before me."
"Nothing like the act of eating for equalising men. Dying is nothing to it.
The philosopher dies sententiously--the pharisee ostentatiously--thesimple-hearted humbly--the poor idiot blindly, as the sparrow falls tothe ground; the philosopher and idiot, publican and pharisee, all eatafter the same fashion--given an equally good digestion. There"s theoryfor theory for you!"
"Indeed I have no theory; I hate theories."
"I beg your pardon. To show my penitence, will you accept a ten poundnote towards your marketing, and give the poor fellows a feast?"
"Thank you; but I"d rather not. They pay me rent for the oven andcooking-places at the back of the mill: and will have to pay more for thenew dining-room. I don"t want it to fall into a charity. I don"t wantdonations. Once let in the principle, and I should have people going,and talking, and spoiling the simplicity of the whole thing."
"People will talk about any new plan. You can"t help that."
"My enemies, if I have any, may make a philanthropic fuss about thisdinner-scheme; but you are a friend, and I expect you will pay myexperiment the respect of silence. It is but a new broom at present, andsweeps clean enough. But by-and-by we shall meet with plenty ofstumbling-blocks, no doubt."
