第98章

Andhereletmemention——althoughthetwoarequitedistinctanddifferent——thatboththedewandthebreadofExmoormaybesought，whetherhighorlow，butneverfoundelsewhere。Thedewissocrisp，andpure，andpearly，andinsuchabundance；andthebreadissosweet，sokind，andhomely，youcaneataloaf，andthenanother。

NowwhileIwaswalkingdailyinandoutgreatcrowdsofmen(fewofwhomhadanyfreedomfromthecaresofmoney，andmanyofwhomwereevenmorbidwithaworsepestcalled’politics’)，Icouldnotbequitofthinkinghowwejostleoneanother。Godhasmadetheearthquitelarge，withaspreadoflandlargeenoughforalltoliveon，withoutfighting。Alsoamightyspreadofwater，layinghandsonsandandcliffwithasolemnvoiceinstorm-time；andinthegentleweathermovingmentothoughtsofequity。This，aswell，isfulloffood；beingtwo-thirdsoftheworld，andreservedfordevouringknowledge；bythetimethesonsofmenhavefedawaythedryland。Yetbeforethelanditselfhasacknowledgedtouchofman，upononeinahundredacres；andbeforeonemileintenthousandoftheexhaustlessoceanhaseverfelttheplungeofhook，orcombingofthehaul-nets；lo，wecrawl，inflockstogetheruponthehotgroundthatstingsus，evenastheblackgrubscrowdupontheharriednettle!Surelywearetoomuchgiventofollowthetracksofeachother。

However，foramoralist，Ineversetup，andnevershall，whilecommonsenseabideswithme。Suchamanmustbeverywretchedinthispuredearthofmorality；

likeafishermanwherenofishbe；andmostofushaveenoughtodotoattendtoourownmorals。EnoughthatIresolvedtogo；andasLornacouldnotcomewithme，itwasevenworsethanstopping。NearlyeverybodyvowedthatIwasagreatfoolindeed，toneglectsorudely——whichwastheproperword，theysaid——thepushingofmyfortunes。ButIansweredthattopushwasrude，andIleftittopeoplewhohadnoroom；andthoughtthatmyfortunemustbeheavy，ifitwouldnotmovewithoutpushing。

LornacriedwhenIcameaway(whichgavemegreatsatisfaction)，andshesentawholetrunkfulofthingsformotherandAnnie，andevenLizzie。Andsheseemedtothink，thoughshesaiditnot，thatImademyownoccasionforgoing，andmighthavestayedontillthewinter。WhereasIknewwellthatmymotherwouldthink(andeveryoneonthefarmthesame)thathereIhadbeeninLondon，lagging，andtakingmypleasure，andlookingatshops，uponpretenceofKing’sbusiness，andleavingtheharvesttoreapitself，nottomentionthespendingofmoney；whileallthetimetherewasnothingwhatever，exceptmyownloveofadventureandsport，tokeepmefromcominghomeagain。ButIknewthatmycoatofarms，andtitle，wouldturneverybitofthisgrumblingintofineadmiration。

Andsoitfellout，toagreaterextentthanevenI

desired；foralltheparishesroundaboutunitedinasumptuousdinner，attheMotherMelldruminn——fornowthatgoodladywasdead，andhernameandfacesetonasign-post——towhichIwasinvited，sothatitwasasgoodasasummons。Andifmyhealthwasnobetternextday，itwasnotfromwantofgoodwishes，anymorethanfromstintoftheliquor。

Itisneedlesstosaythattherealgentryforalongtimetreatedmynewhonourswithcontemptandridicule；

butgraduallyastheyfoundthatIwasnotsuchafoolastoclaimanyequalitywiththem，butwentaboutmyfarm-work，andthrewanothermanatwrestling，andtouchedmyhattothemagistrates，justthesameasever；somegentlemenofthehighestblood——ofwhichwethinkagreatdealmorethanofgold，aroundourneighbourhood——actuallyexpressedadesiretomakemyacquaintance。Andwhen，inamannerquitestraightforward，andwhollyfreefrombitterness，I

thankedthemforthis(whichappearedtomethehighesthonouryetofferedme)，butdeclinedtogointotheircompanybecauseitwouldmakemeuncomfortable，andthemselvesaswell，inadifferentway，theydidwhatnearlyallEnglishmendo，whenathingisrightandsensible。Theyshookhandswithme；andsaidthattheycouldnotdenybutthattherewasreasoninmyviewofthematter。Andalthoughtheythemselvesmustbethelosers——whichwasahandsomethingtosay——theywouldwaituntilIwasalittleolderandmoreawareofmyownvalue。

NowthisremindsmehowitisthatanEnglishgentlemanissofarinfrontofforeignnoblemenandprinces。I

haveseenattimes，alittle，bothofoneandoftheother，andmakingmorethandueallowanceforthedifficultiesoflanguage，andthedifferenceoftraining，uponthewhole，thebalanceisinfavourofourpeople。Andthis，becausewehavetwoweights，solidand(ev