下载辰思小说免费APP
“Iwishyoumighthaveseenthefigureyoucut！Thatfineteam，flowerbedecked，andthecontinuousconcert！“
“ButIdid！“criedLaddie。“Wehavemirrors。Thatsongcan’tbebeaten。Iknowthisteamisallright，andI’mnotdwarfedordisfigured。Thatwasthepageantofsummerpassinginreview。
Itrepresentedthetillingofthesoil；thesowingofseed，garneringtocomelater。Youbuycornandwheat，don’tyou？
Theyarevastlynecessary。Muchmoresothanthesettlingofquarrelsthatnevershouldhavetakenplace。Doyouthinkyourdaughterfoundthespectacleatallmoving？“
“Damnyou，sir，whatIshoulddo，istolaythiswhipacrossyourshoulders！“criedMr。Pryor。
Butifyouwillbelieveit，hewaslaughingagain。
“Ipreferthatyoudon’t，“saidLaddie，“oronRangereither。
Seehowhelikesbeinggentled。“
Thenhestraightenedanddrewadeepbreath。
“Mr。Pryor，“hesaid，“asmantoman，Ihavegotthistosaytoyou——andyoumayuseyourowndiscretionaboutrepeatingittoyourdaughter：IcanofferhersixfeetofassoundmanhoodasyoucanfindonGod’sfootstool。Ineverinmywholelifehavehadenoughimpurebloodinmybodytomakeevenonetinyeruptiononmyskin。Ineverhavebeenilladayinmylife。IneverhavetouchedawomansaveasIliftedandcaredformymother，andhers，ormysisters。Astomyfamilyandeducationshecanjudgeforherself。Iofferherthefirstandonlyloveofmyheart。Sheobjectstofarming，becauseshesaysitisdirty，offensivework。Therearepartsofitthataredirty。ThankGod，itonlysoilsthebody，andthatcanbewashed。Todelveandtodiveinto，andtostudyandtobroodoverthebiggerhalfofthelawbusinessofanycityistosteepyourbrainin，andsmirchyoursoulwith，suchdirtasIwoulddiebeforeI’dmakeanoccupationoftouching。Willyoukindlytellherthatwordforword，andthatIaskedyouto？“
Mr。PryorwasstandingbeforeIsawhimrise。Hesaidthoseawfulwordsagain，butbetweenthemhecried：“You’reright！
It’sthetruth！It’stheeternaltruth！“
“ItISthetruth，“saidLaddie。“I’veonlytovisittheoffices，andexaminethebusinessofthoseofmyfamilylivingbylaw，toKNOWthatit’sthetruth。Ofcoursethere’sanotherside！Therearetimeswhentherearegreatopportunitiestodogood；I
recognizethat。TosomethesemayseemtooverbalancethattowhichIobject。Iftheydo，allright。Iammerelydecidingformyself。Onceandforall，formeitisland。Itisborninmetoloveit，tohandleiteasily，togetthebestresultsfromstock。IamgoingtotaketheMerriweatherplaceadjoiningoursonthewest，andyoursonthesouth。Iintendtoleaseitfortenyears，withpurchaseprivilegeattheend，sothatifImakeofitwhatIplan，myworkwillnotbelosttome。Ihadthoughttofixuptheplaceandbeginfarming。IfMissPryorhasanyusewhateverforme，andprefersstock，thatisallrightwithme。
I’llgointothesamebusinessshefindssuitableforyou。Icanstartinasmallwayanddevelop。Icanaffordamaidforherfromthebeginning，butIcouldn’tclotheherasshehasbeenaccustomedtobeingdressed，forsometime。Iwoulddomybest，however。Iknowwhatstoremymothersetsbybeingwellgowned。
Andasahusband，Icanofferyourdaughteraslovingconsiderationaswomaneverreceivedatthehandsofman。
ProvidedbysomemiracleIcouldwinherconsent，wouldyouevenconsiderme，andsuchanarrangement？“
“Franklysir，“saidMr。Pryor，“IhavereachedtheplacewhereI
wouldbe——“wheneveryoucometoalongblacklinelikethat，itmeansthathejustroaredalotofwordsfatherneversaid，andneverwill——“gladto！Totellthetruth，thethingyouchoosetojestinglyrefertoas`tinware’——Ihopelatertoconvinceoftheindelicacyofsuchallusion——wouldplaceyouinEnglandonasociallevelaboveanyweeveroccupied，orcouldhopeto。Youreducationequalsours。Youareaphysicalspecimentobereckonedwith，andIbelievewhatyousayofyourself。There’ssomethingsocleanandmanlyaboutyou，itamountstoconfirmation。Awomanshouldsetherownvaluationonthat；andtheheightofitshouldcorrespondwithherknowledgeoftheworld。“
“Thankyou！“saidLaddie。“Youaremorethankind！morethangenerous！“
“AstothearrangementsyoucouldmakeforPamela，“saidMr。
Pryor，“she’sallwehave。Everythinggoestoher，ultimately。
Shehasherstipulatedallowancenow；whetherinmyhouseoryours，itwouldgowithher。Surelyyouwouldn’tbesocallousastoobjecttoourgivingheranythingthatwouldpleaseus！“
“WhyshouldI？“askedLaddie。“That’sonlynaturalonyourpart。
Yourchildisyourchild；nomatterwhereorwhatitis，youexpecttoexerciseacertainamountoflovingcareover
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