BOOK	O
I.	O
MISS	O
BROOKE	O
.	O

CHAPTER	O
I.	O
"	O
Since	O
I	O
can	O
do	O
no	O
good	O
because	O
a	O
woman	O
,	O
Reach	O
constantly	O
at	O
something	O
that	O
is	O
near	O
it	O
.	O

--	O
The	O
Maid	O
's	O
Tragedy	O
:	O
BEAUMONT	O
AND	O
FLETCHER	O
.	O

Miss	O
Brooke	O
had	O
that	O
kind	O
of	O
beauty	O
which	O
seems	O
to	O
be	O
thrown	O
into	O
relief	O
by	O
poor	O
dress	O
.	O

Her	O
hand	O
and	O
wrist	O
were	O
so	O
finely	O
formed	O
that	O
she	O
could	O
wear	O
sleeves	O
not	O
less	O
bare	O
of	O
style	O
than	O
those	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
Blessed	O
Virgin	O
appeared	O
to	O
Italian	O
painters	O
;	O
and	O
her	O
profile	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
her	O
stature	O
and	O
bearing	O
seemed	O
to	O
gain	O
the	O
more	O
dignity	O
from	O
her	O
plain	O
garments	O
,	O
which	O
by	O
the	O
side	O
of	O
provincial	O
fashion	O
gave	O
her	O
the	O
impressiveness	O
of	O
a	O
fine	O
quotation	O
from	O
the	O
Bible	O
,	O
--	O
or	O
from	O
one	O
of	O
our	O
elder	O
poets	O
,	O
--	O
in	O
a	O
paragraph	O
of	O
to-day	O
's	O
newspaper	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
usually	O
spoken	O
of	O
as	O
being	O
remarkably	O
clever	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
the	O
addition	O
that	O
her	O
sister	O
Celia	O
had	O
more	O
common-sense	O
.	O

Nevertheless	O
,	O
Celia	O
wore	O
scarcely	O
more	O
trimmings	O
;	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
only	O
to	O
close	O
observers	O
that	O
her	O
dress	O
differed	O
from	O
her	O
sister	O
's	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
a	O
shade	O
of	O
coquetry	O
in	O
its	O
arrangements	O
;	O
for	O
Miss	O
Brooke	O
's	O
plain	O
dressing	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
mixed	O
conditions	O
,	O
in	O
most	O
of	O
which	O
her	O
sister	O
shared	O
.	O

The	O
pride	O
of	O
being	O
ladies	O
had	O
something	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
it	O
:	O
the	O
Brooke	O
connections	O
,	O
though	O
not	O
exactly	O
aristocratic	O
,	O
were	O
unquestionably	O
"	O
good	O
:	O
"	O
if	O
you	O
inquired	O
backward	O
for	O
a	O
generation	O
or	O
two	O
,	O
you	O
would	O
not	O
find	O
any	O
yard-measuring	O
or	O
parcel-tying	O
forefathers	O
--	O
anything	O
lower	O
than	O
an	O
admiral	O
or	O
a	O
clergyman	O
;	O
and	O
there	O
was	O
even	O
an	O
ancestor	O
discernible	O
as	O
a	O
Puritan	O
gentleman	O
who	O
served	O
under	O
Cromwell	O
,	O
but	O
afterwards	O
conformed	O
,	O
and	O
managed	O
to	O
come	O
out	O
of	O
all	O
political	O
troubles	O
as	O
the	O
proprietor	O
of	O
a	O
respectable	O
family	O
estate	O
.	O

Young	O
women	O
of	O
such	O
birth	O
,	O
living	O
in	O
a	O
quiet	O
country-house	O
,	O
and	O
attending	O
a	O
village	O
church	O
hardly	O
larger	O
than	O
a	O
parlor	O
,	O
naturally	O
regarded	O
frippery	O
as	O
the	O
ambition	O
of	O
a	O
huckster	O
's	O
daughter	O
.	O

Then	O
there	O
was	O
well-bred	O
economy	O
,	O
which	O
in	O
those	O
days	O
made	O
show	O
in	O
dress	O
the	O
first	O
item	O
to	O
be	O
deducted	O
from	O
,	O
when	O
any	O
margin	O
was	O
required	O
for	O
expenses	O
more	O
distinctive	O
of	O
rank	O
.	O

Such	O
reasons	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
enough	O
to	O
account	O
for	O
plain	O
dress	O
,	O
quite	O
apart	O
from	O
religious	O
feeling	O
;	O
but	O
in	O
Miss	O
Brooke	O
's	O
case	O
,	O
religion	O
alone	O
would	O
have	O
determined	O
it	O
;	O
and	O
Celia	O
mildly	O
acquiesced	O
in	O
all	O
her	O
sister	O
's	O
sentiments	O
,	O
only	O
infusing	O
them	O
with	O
that	O
common-sense	O
which	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
accept	O
momentous	O
doctrines	O
without	O
any	O
eccentric	O
agitation	O
.	O

Dorothea	O
knew	O
many	O
passages	O
of	O
Pascal	O
's	O
Pensees	O
and	O
of	O
Jeremy	O
Taylor	O
by	O
heart	O
;	O
and	O
to	O
her	O
the	O
destinies	O
of	O
mankind	O
,	O
seen	O
by	O
the	O
light	O
of	O
Christianity	O
,	O
made	O
the	O
solicitudes	O
of	O
feminine	O
fashion	O
appear	O
an	O
occupation	O
for	O
Bedlam	O
.	O

She	O
could	O
not	O
reconcile	O
the	O
anxieties	O
of	O
a	O
spiritual	O
life	O
involving	O
eternal	O
consequences	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
keen	O
interest	O
in	O
gimp	O
and	O
artificial	O
protrusions	O
of	O
drapery	O
.	O

Her	O
mind	O
was	O
theoretic	O
,	O
and	O
yearned	O
by	O
its	O
nature	O
after	O
some	O
lofty	O
conception	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
which	O
might	O
frankly	O
include	O
the	O
parish	O
of	O
Tipton	O
and	O
her	O
own	O
rule	O
of	O
conduct	O
there	O
;	O
she	O
was	O
enamoured	O
of	O
intensity	O
and	O
greatness	O
,	O
and	O
rash	O
in	O
embracing	O
whatever	O
seemed	O
to	O
her	O
to	O
have	O
those	O
aspects	O
;	O
likely	O
to	O
seek	O
martyrdom	O
,	O
to	O
make	O
retractations	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
to	O
incur	O
martyrdom	O
after	O
all	O
in	O
a	O
quarter	O
where	O
she	O
had	O
not	O
sought	O
it	O
.	O

Certainly	O
such	O
elements	O
in	O
the	O
character	O
of	O
a	O
marriageable	O
girl	O
tended	O
to	O
interfere	O
with	O
her	O
lot	O
,	O
and	O
hinder	O
it	O
from	O
being	O
decided	O
according	O
to	O
custom	O
,	O
by	O
good	O
looks	O
,	O
vanity	O
,	O
and	O
merely	O
canine	O
affection	O
.	O

With	O
all	O
this	O
,	O
she	O
,	O
the	O
elder	O
of	O
the	O
sisters	O
,	O
was	O
not	O
yet	O
twenty	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
had	O
both	O
been	O
educated	O
,	O
since	O
they	O
were	O
about	O
twelve	O
years	O
old	O
and	O
had	O
lost	O
their	O
parents	O
,	O
on	O
plans	O
at	O
once	O
narrow	O
and	O
promiscuous	O
,	O
first	O
in	O
an	O
English	O
family	O
and	O
afterwards	O
in	O
a	O
Swiss	O
family	O
at	O
Lausanne	O
,	O
their	O
bachelor	O
uncle	O
and	O
guardian	O
trying	O
in	O
this	O
way	O
to	O
remedy	O
the	O
disadvantages	O
of	O
their	O
orphaned	O
condition	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
hardly	O
a	O
year	O
since	O
they	O
had	O
come	EVENT
to	O
live	O
at	O
Tipton	O
Grange	O
with	O
their	O
uncle	O
,	O
a	O
man	O
nearly	O
sixty	O
,	O
of	O
acquiescent	O
temper	O
,	O
miscellaneous	O
opinions	O
,	O
and	O
uncertain	O
vote	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
travelled	O
in	O
his	O
younger	O
years	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
held	O
in	O
this	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
county	O
to	O
have	O
contracted	O
a	O
too	O
rambling	O
habit	O
of	O
mind	O
.	O

Mr.	O
Brooke	O
's	O
conclusions	O
were	O
as	O
difficult	O
to	O
predict	O
as	O
the	O
weather	O
:	O
it	O
was	O
only	O
safe	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
he	O
would	O
act	O
with	O
benevolent	O
intentions	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
he	O
would	O
spend	O
as	O
little	O
money	O
as	O
possible	O
in	O
carrying	O
them	O
out	O
.	O

For	O
the	O
most	O
glutinously	O
indefinite	O
minds	O
enclose	O
some	O
hard	O
grains	O
of	O
habit	O
;	O
and	O
a	O
man	O
has	O
been	O
seen	O
lax	O
about	O
all	O
his	O
own	O
interests	O
except	O
the	O
retention	O
of	O
his	O
snuff-box	O
,	O
concerning	O
which	O
he	O
was	O
watchful	O
,	O
suspicious	O
,	O
and	O
greedy	O
of	O
clutch	O
.	O

In	O
Mr.	O
Brooke	O
the	O
hereditary	O
strain	O
of	O
Puritan	O
energy	O
was	O
clearly	O
in	O
abeyance	O
;	O
but	O
in	O
his	O
niece	O
Dorothea	O
it	O
glowed	O
alike	O
through	O
faults	O
and	O
virtues	O
,	O
turning	O
sometimes	O
into	O
impatience	O
of	O
her	O
uncle	O
's	O
talk	O
or	O
his	O
way	O
of	O
"	O
letting	O
things	O
be	O
"	O
on	O
his	O
estate	O
,	O
and	O
making	O
her	O
long	O
all	O
the	O
more	O
for	O
the	O
time	O
when	O
she	O
would	O
be	O
of	O
age	O
and	O
have	O
some	O
command	O
of	O
money	O
for	O
generous	O
schemes	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
regarded	O
as	O
an	O
heiress	O
;	O
for	O
not	O
only	O
had	O
the	O
sisters	O
seven	O
hundred	O
a-year	O
each	O
from	O
their	O
parents	O
,	O
but	O
if	O
Dorothea	O
married	O
and	O
had	O
a	O
son	O
,	O
that	O
son	O
would	O
inherit	O
Mr.	O
Brooke	O
's	O
estate	O
,	O
presumably	O
worth	O
about	O
three	O
thousand	O
a-year	O
--	O
a	O
rental	O
which	O
seemed	O
wealth	O
to	O
provincial	O
families	O
,	O
still	O
discussing	O
Mr.	O
Peel	O
's	O
late	O
conduct	O
on	O
the	O
Catholic	O
question	O
,	O
innocent	O
of	O
future	O
gold-fields	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
that	O
gorgeous	O
plutocracy	O
which	O
has	O
so	O
nobly	O
exalted	O
the	O
necessities	O
of	O
genteel	O
life	O
.	O

And	O
how	O
should	O
Dorothea	O
not	O
marry	O
?	O

--	O
a	O
girl	O
so	O
handsome	O
and	O
with	O
such	O
prospects	O
?	O

Nothing	O
could	O
hinder	O
it	O
but	O
her	O
love	O
of	O
extremes	O
,	O
and	O
her	O
insistence	O
on	O
regulating	O
life	O
according	O
to	O
notions	O
which	O
might	O
cause	O
a	O
wary	O
man	O
to	O
hesitate	O
before	O
he	O
made	O
her	O
an	O
offer	O
,	O
or	O
even	O
might	O
lead	O
her	O
at	O
last	O
to	O
refuse	O
all	O
offers	O
.	O

A	O
young	O
lady	O
of	O
some	O
birth	O
and	O
fortune	O
,	O
who	O
knelt	O
suddenly	O
down	O
on	O
a	O
brick	O
floor	O
by	O
the	O
side	O
of	O
a	O
sick	O
laborer	O
and	O
prayed	O
fervidly	O
as	O
if	O
she	O
thought	O
herself	O
living	O
in	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
Apostles	O
--	O
who	O
had	O
strange	O
whims	O
of	O
fasting	O
like	O
a	O
Papist	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
sitting	O
up	O
at	O
night	O
to	O
read	O
old	O
theological	O
books	O
!	O

Such	O
a	O
wife	O
might	O
awaken	O
you	O
some	O
fine	O
morning	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
scheme	O
for	O
the	O
application	O
of	O
her	O
income	O
which	O
would	O
interfere	O
with	O
political	O
economy	O
and	O
the	O
keeping	O
of	O
saddle-horses	O
:	O
a	O
man	O
would	O
naturally	O
think	O
twice	O
before	O
he	O
risked	O
himself	O
in	O
such	O
fellowship	O
.	O

Women	O
were	O
expected	O
to	O
have	O
weak	O
opinions	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
great	O
safeguard	O
of	O
society	O
and	O
of	O
domestic	O
life	O
was	O
,	O
that	O
opinions	O
were	O
not	O
acted	O
on	O
.	O

Sane	O
people	O
did	O
what	O
their	O
neighbors	O
did	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
if	O
any	O
lunatics	O
were	O
at	O
large	O
,	O
one	O
might	O
know	O
and	O
avoid	O
them	O
.	O

The	O
rural	O
opinion	O
about	O
the	O
new	O
young	O
ladies	O
,	O
even	O
among	O
the	O
cottagers	O
,	O
was	O
generally	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
Celia	O
,	O
as	O
being	O
so	O
amiable	O
and	O
innocent-looking	O
,	O
while	O
Miss	O
Brooke	O
's	O
large	O
eyes	O
seemed	O
,	O
like	O
her	O
religion	O
,	O
too	O
unusual	O
and	O
striking	O
.	O

Poor	O
Dorothea	O
!	O

compared	O
with	O
her	O
,	O
the	O
innocent-looking	O
Celia	O
was	O
knowing	O
and	O
worldly-wise	O
;	O
so	O
much	O
subtler	O
is	O
a	O
human	O
mind	O
than	O
the	O
outside	O
tissues	O
which	O
make	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
blazonry	O
or	O
clock-face	O
for	O
it	O
.	O

Yet	O
those	O
who	O
approached	O
Dorothea	O
,	O
though	O
prejudiced	O
against	O
her	O
by	O
this	O
alarming	O
hearsay	O
,	O
found	O
that	O
she	O
had	O
a	O
charm	O
unaccountably	O
reconcilable	O
with	O
it	O
.	O

Most	O
men	O
thought	O
her	O
bewitching	O
when	O
she	O
was	O
on	O
horseback	O
.	O

She	O
loved	O
the	O
fresh	O
air	O
and	O
the	O
various	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
country	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
her	O
eyes	O
and	O
cheeks	O
glowed	O
with	O
mingled	O
pleasure	O
she	O
looked	O
very	O
little	O
like	O
a	O
devotee	O
.	O

Riding	O
was	O
an	O
indulgence	O
which	O
she	O
allowed	O
herself	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
conscientious	O
qualms	O
;	O
she	O
felt	O
that	O
she	O
enjoyed	O
it	O
in	O
a	O
pagan	O
sensuous	O
way	O
,	O
and	O
always	O
looked	O
forward	O
to	O
renouncing	O
it	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
open	O
,	O
ardent	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
in	O
the	O
least	O
self-admiring	O
;	O
indeed	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
pretty	O
to	O
see	O
how	O
her	O
imagination	O
adorned	O
her	O
sister	O
Celia	O
with	O
attractions	O
altogether	O
superior	O
to	O
her	O
own	O
,	O
and	O
if	O
any	O
gentleman	O
appeared	O
to	O
come	O
to	O
the	O
Grange	O
from	O
some	O
other	O
motive	O
than	O
that	O
of	O
seeing	O
Mr.	O
Brooke	O
,	O
she	O
concluded	O
that	O
he	O
must	O
be	O
in	O
love	O
with	O
Celia	O
:	O
Sir	O
James	O
Chettam	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
whom	O
she	O
constantly	O
considered	O
from	O
Celia	O
's	O
point	O
of	O
view	O
,	O
inwardly	O
debating	O
whether	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
good	O
for	O
Celia	O
to	O
accept	O
him	O
.	O

That	O
he	O
should	O
be	O
regarded	O
as	O
a	O
suitor	O
to	O
herself	O
would	O
have	O
seemed	O
to	O
her	O
a	O
ridiculous	O
irrelevance	O
.	O

Dorothea	O
,	O
with	O
all	O
her	O
eagerness	O
to	O
know	O
the	O
truths	O
of	O
life	O
,	O
retained	O
very	O
childlike	O
ideas	O
about	O
marriage	O
.	O

She	O
felt	O
sure	O
that	O
she	O
would	O
have	O
accepted	O
the	O
judicious	O
Hooker	O
,	O
if	O
she	O
had	O
been	O
born	O
in	O
time	O
to	O
save	O
him	O
from	O
that	O
wretched	O
mistake	O
he	O
made	O
in	O
matrimony	O
;	O
or	O
John	O
Milton	O
when	O
his	O
blindness	O
had	O
come	O
on	O
;	O
or	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
other	O
great	O
men	O
whose	O
odd	O
habits	O
it	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
glorious	O
piety	O
to	O
endure	O
;	O
but	O
an	O
amiable	O
handsome	O
baronet	O
,	O
who	O
said	O
"	O
Exactly	O
"	O
to	O
her	O
remarks	O
even	O
when	O
she	O
expressed	O
uncertainty	O
,	O
--	O
how	O
could	O
he	O
affect	O
her	O
as	O
a	O
lover	O
?	O

The	O
really	O
delightful	O
marriage	O
must	O
be	O
that	O
where	O
your	O
husband	O
was	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
father	O
,	O
and	O
could	O
teach	O
you	O
even	O
Hebrew	O
,	O
if	O
you	O
wished	O
it	O
.	O

These	O
peculiarities	O
of	O
Dorothea	O
's	O
character	O
caused	O
Mr.	O
Brooke	O
to	O
be	O
all	O
the	O
more	O
blamed	O
in	O
neighboring	O
families	O
for	O
not	O
securing	O
some	O
middle-aged	O
lady	O
as	O
guide	O
and	O
companion	O
to	O
his	O
nieces	O
.	O

But	O
he	O
himself	O
dreaded	O
so	O
much	O
the	O
sort	O
of	O
superior	O
woman	O
likely	O
to	O
be	O
available	O
for	O
such	O
a	O
position	O
,	O
that	O
he	O
allowed	O
himself	O
to	O
be	O
dissuaded	O
by	O
Dorothea	O
's	O
objections	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
in	O
this	O
case	O
brave	O
enough	O
to	O
defy	O
the	O
world	O
--	O
that	O
is	O
to	O
say	O
,	O
Mrs.	O
Cadwallader	O
the	O
Rector	O
's	O
wife	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
small	O
group	O
of	O
gentry	O
with	O
whom	O
he	O
visited	O
in	O
the	O
northeast	O
corner	O
of	O
Loamshire	O
.	O

So	O
Miss	O
Brooke	O
presided	O
in	O
her	O
uncle	O
's	O
household	O
,	O
and	O
did	O
not	O
at	O
all	O
dislike	O
her	O
new	O
authority	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
homage	O
that	O
belonged	O
to	O
it	O
.	O

Sir	O
James	O
Chettam	O
was	O
going	O
to	O
dine	O
at	O
the	O
Grange	O
to-day	O
with	O
another	O
gentleman	O
whom	O
the	O
girls	O
had	O
never	O
seen	O
,	O
and	O
about	O
whom	O
Dorothea	O
felt	O
some	O
venerating	O
expectation	O
.	O

This	O
was	O
the	O
Reverend	O
Edward	O
Casaubon	O
,	O
noted	O
in	O
the	O
county	O
as	O
a	O
man	O
of	O
profound	O
learning	O
,	O
understood	O
for	O
many	O
years	O
to	O
be	O
engaged	O
on	O
a	O
great	O
work	O
concerning	O
religious	O
history	O
;	O
also	O
as	O
a	O
man	O
of	O
wealth	O
enough	O
to	O
give	O
lustre	O
to	O
his	O
piety	O
,	O
and	O
having	O
views	O
of	O
his	O
own	O
which	O
were	O
to	O
be	O
more	O
clearly	O
ascertained	O
on	O
the	O
publication	O
of	O
his	O
book	O
.	O

His	O
very	O
name	O
carried	O
an	O
impressiveness	O
hardly	O
to	O
be	O
measured	O
without	O
a	O
precise	O
chronology	O
of	O
scholarship	O
.	O

Early	O
in	O
the	O
day	O
Dorothea	O
had	O
returned	EVENT
from	O
the	O
infant	O
school	O
which	O
she	O
had	O
set	EVENT
going	O
in	O
the	O
village	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
taking	EVENT
her	O
usual	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
pretty	O
sitting-room	O
which	O
divided	O
the	O
bedrooms	O
of	O
the	O
sisters	O
,	O
bent	O
on	O
finishing	O
a	O
plan	O
for	O
some	O
buildings	O
(	O
a	O
kind	O
of	O
work	O
which	O
she	O
delighted	O
in	O
)	O
,	O
when	O
Celia	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
watching	EVENT
her	O
with	O
a	O
hesitating	O
desire	O
to	O
propose	O
something	O
,	O
said	EVENT
--	O