第68章

’Mydarlingchild，mydearestniece；howwonderfullywellyoulook!MistressRidd，Igiveyoucredit。Thisisthecountryofgoodthings。IneverwouldhavebelievedourQueencouldhavelookedsoroyal。Surelyofallvirtues，hospitalityisthefinest，andthemostromantic。DearestLorna，kissyouruncle；itisquiteaprivilege。’

’Perhapsitistoyou，sir，’saidLorna，whocouldneverquitecheckhersenseofoddity；’butIfearthatyouhavesmokedtobacco，whichspoilsreciprocity。’

’Youareright，mychild。Howkeenyourscentis!Itisalwayssowithus。Yourgrandfatherwasnotedforhisolfactorypowers。Ah，agreatloss，dearMrs。

Ridd，aterriblelosstothisneighbourhood!Asoneofourgreatwriterssays——IthinkitmustbeMilton——“Wene’ershalllookuponhislikeagain。“’

’Withyourgoodleavesir，’Ibrokein，’MasterMiltoncouldneverhavewrittensosweetandsimplealineasthat。ItisoneofthegreatShakespeare。’

’Woeismeformyneglect!’saidtheCounsellor，bowingairily；’thismustbeyourson，MistressRidd，thegreatJohn，thewrestler。AndonewhomeddleswiththeMuses!Ah，sinceIwasyoung，howeverythingischanged，madam!Exceptindeedthebeautyofwomen，whichseemstometoincreaseeveryyear。’Heretheoldvillainbowedtomymother；andsheblushed，andmadeanothercurtsey，andreallydidlookverynice。

’NowthoughIhavequotedthepoetsamiss，asyoursoninformsme(forwhichItendermybestthanks，andmustamendmyreading)，Icanhardlybewronginassumingthatthisyoungarmigermustbethetooattractivecynosuretoourpoorlittlemaiden。Andformypart，sheiswelcometohim。Ihaveneverbeenoneofthosewhodwellupondistinctionsofrank，andbirth，andsuchlike；asiftheywereintheheartofnature，andmustbeeternal。Inearlyyouth，Imayhavethoughtso，andbeenfullofthatlittlepride。ButnowI

havelongaccounteditoneofthefirstaxiomsofpoliticaleconomy——youarefollowingme，MistressRidd？’

’Well，sir，Iamdoingmybest；butIcannotquitekeepupwithyou。’

’Nevermind，madam；Iwillbeslower。Butyourson’sintelligenceissoquick——’

’Isee，sir；youthoughtthatminemustbe。Butno；itallcomesfromhisfather，sir。Hisfatherwasthatquickandclever——’

’Ah，Icanwellsupposeit，madam。Andacreditheistobothofyou。Now，toreturntoourmuttons——afigurewhichyouwillappreciate——Imaynowberegarded，Ithink，asthisyounglady’slegalguardian；

althoughIhavenothadthehonourofbeingformallyappointedsuch。HerfatherwastheeldestsonofSirEnsorDoone；andIhappenedtobethesecondson；andasyoungmaidenscannotbebaronets，IsupposeIam“SirCounsellor。“Isitso，MistressRidd，accordingtoyourtheoryofgenealogy？’

’IamsureIdon’tknow，sir，’mymotheransweredcarefully；’Iknownotanythingofthatname，sir，exceptintheGospelofMatthew：butIseenotwhyitshouldbeotherwise。’

’Good，madam!Imaylookuponthatasyoursanctionandapproval：andtheCollegeofHeraldsshallhearofit。

Andinreturn，asLorna’sguardian，Igivemyfullandreadyconsenttohermarriagewithyourson，madam。’

’Oh，howgoodofyou，sir，howkind!Well，Ialwaysdidsay，thatthelearnedestpeoplewere，almostalways，thebestandkindest，andthemostsimple-hearted。’

’Madam，thatisagreatsentiment。Whatagoodlycoupletheywillbe!andifwecanaddhimtoourstrength——’

’Ohno，sir，ohno!’criedmother：’youreallymustnotthinkofit。Hehasalwaysbeenbroughtupsohonest——’

’Hem!thatmakesadifference。AdecideddisqualificationfordomesticlifeamongtheDoones。

But，surely，hemightgetoverthoseprejudices，madam？’

’Ohno，sir!henevercan：henevercanindeed。Whenhewasonlythathigh，sir，hecouldnotstealevenanapple，whensomewickedboystriedtomisleadhim。’

’Ah，’repliedtheCounsellor，shakinghiswhiteheadgravely；’thenIgreatlyfearthathiscaseisquiteincurable。Ihaveknownsuchcases；violentprejudice，bredentirelyofeducation，andanti-economicaltothelastdegree。Andwhenitisso，itisdesperate：noman，afterimbibingideasofthatsort，caninanywaybeuseful。’

’Ohyes，sir，Johnisveryuseful。Hecandoasmu