Hestersilencedhercuriosityfromthattime。Butherheartwasnotquiteatease，andshekeptonwonderingwhetherPhilipthoughthislittlecousinprettyuntilshesawherandhimtogether，onthatoccasionofwhichwehavespoken，whenSylviacametotheshoptobuyhernewcloak;andafterthatHesterneverwonderedwhetherPhilipthoughthiscousinprettyorno，forsheknewquitewell。BellRobsonhadherownanxietiesonthesubjectofherdaughter\'sincreasingattractions。Sheapprehendedthedangersconsequentuponcertainfacts，byamentalprocessmoreakintointuitionthanreason。Shewasuncomfortable，evenwhilehermotherlyvanitywasflattered，attheadmirationSylviareceivedfromtheothersex。Thisadmirationwasmadeevidenttohermotherinmanyways。WhenSylviawaswithheratmarket，itmighthavebeenthoughtthatthedoctorshadprescribedadietofbutterandeggstoallthemenunderfortyinMonkshaven。AtfirstitseemedtoMrsRobsonbutanaturaltributetothesuperiormeritofherfarmproduce;butbydegreessheperceivedthatifSylviaremainedathome，shestoodnobetterchancethanherneighboursofanearlysale。Thereweremorecustomersthanformerlyforthefleecesstoredinthewool—loft;
comelyyoungbutcherscameafterthecalfalmostbeforeithadbeendecidedtosellit;inshort，excuseswereseldomwantingtothosewhowishedtoseethebeautyofHaytersbankFarm。AllthismadeBelluncomfortable，thoughshecouldhardlyhavetoldwhatshedreaded。Sylviaherselfseemedunspoiltbyitasfarasherhomerelationswereconcerned。Alittlethoughtlessshehadalwaysbeen，andthoughtlessshewasstill;but，ashermotherhadoftensaid，\'Yo\'cannaputoldheadsonyoungshoulders;\'andifblamedforhercarelessnessbyherparents，Sylviawasalwaysaspenitentasshecouldbeforthetimebeing。Tobesure，itwasonlytoherfatherandmotherthatsheremainedthesameasshehadbeenwhenanawkwardlassieofthirteen。Outofthehousetherewerethemostcontradictoryopinionsofher，especiallyifthevoicesofwomenweretobelistenedto。Shewas\'anill—favoured，overgrownthing;\'\'justasbonnyasthefirstrosei\'
June，andassweeti\'hernatureast\'honeysucklea—climbingroundit;\'
shewas\'avixen，withatonguesharpenoughtomakeyerveryheartbleed;\'
shewas\'justabito\'sunshinewherivershewent;\'shewassulky，lively，witty，silent，affectionate，orcold—hearted，accordingtothepersonwhospokeabouther。Infact，herpeculiarityseemedtobethis——thateveryonewhoknewhertalkedabouthereitherinpraiseorblame;inchurch，orinmarket，sheunconsciouslyattractedattention;theycouldnotforgetherpresence，astheycouldthatofothergirlsperhapsmorepersonallyattractive。Nowallthiswasacauseofanxietytohermother，whobegantofeelasifshewouldratherhavehadherchildpassedbyinsilencethansomuchnoticed。Bell\'sopinionwas，thatitwascredit—abletoawomantogothroughlifeintheshadowofobscurity，——nevernamedexceptinconnexionwithgoodhousewifery，husband，orchildren。Toomuchtalkingaboutagirl，eveninthewayofpraise，disturbedMrsRobson\'sopinionofher;andwhenherneighbourstoldherhowherowndaughterwasadmired，shewouldreplycoldly，\'She\'sjustwellenough，\'andchangethesubjectofconversation。Butitwasquitedifferentwithherhusband。Tohislooser，less—restrainedmind，itwasagreeabletohearof，andstillmoretosee，theattentionwhichhisdaughter\'sbeautyreceived。Hefeltitasreflectingconsequenceonhimself。Hehadnevertroubledhismindwithspeculationsastowhetherhehimselfwaspopular，stilllesswhetherhewasrespected。
Hewasprettywelcomewhereverhewent，asajovialgood—naturedman，whohaddoneadventurousandillegalthingsinhisyouth，whichinsomemeasureentitledhimtospeakouthisopinionsonlifeingeneralintheauthoritativemannerhegenerallyused;but，ofthetwo，hepreferredconsortingwithyoungermen，totakingasoberstandofrespectabilitywiththeeldersoftheplace;andheperceived，withoutreasoninguponit，thatthegaydaringspiritsweremoredesirousofhiscompanywhenSylviawasbyhissidethanatanyothertime。OneortwoofthesewouldsaunteruptoHaytersbankonaSundayafternoon，andloungeroundhisfieldswiththeoldfarmer。
Bellkeptherselffromthenapwhichhadbeenherweeklysolaceforyears，inordertolookafterSylvia，andonsuchoccasionsshealwaysturnedascoldashouldertothevisitorsashersenseofhospitalityandofdutytoherhusbandwouldpermit。Butiftheydidnotenterthehouse，oldRobsonwouldalwayshaveSylviawithhimwhenhewenttheroundofhisland。Bellcouldseethemfromtheupperwindowtheyoungmenstandingintheattitudesoflisteners，whileDaniellaiddownthelawonsomepoint，enforcinghiswordsbypantomimicactionswithhisthickstick;andSylvia，halfturningawayasiffromsometooadmiringgaze，waspossiblypickingflowersoutofthehedgebank。TheseSundayafternoonstrollsweretheplagueofBell\'slifethatwholesummer。Thenittookasmuchofartificeaswasinthesimplewoman\'snaturetokeepDanielfrominsistingonhavingSylvia\'scompanyeverytimehewentdowntoMonkshaven。Andhere，again，cameaperplexity，theacknowledgementofwhichindistinctthoughtwouldhavebeenanactofdisloyalty，accordingtoBell\'sconscience。IfSylviawentwithherfather，heneverdranktoexcess;andthatwasagoodgaintohealthatanyrate（drinkingwashardlyasinagainstmoralsinthosedays，andinthatplace）;so，occasionally，shewasallowedtoaccompanyhimtoMonkshavenasacheckuponhisfolly;forhewastoofondandproudofhisdaughtertodisgraceherbyanyopenexcess。ButoneSundayafternoonearlyinNovember，Philipcameupbeforethetimeatwhichheusuallypaidhisvisits。Helookedgraveandpale;andhisauntbegan，——
\'Why，lad！what\'sbeenado？Thou\'rtlookingaspeakedandpinedasaMethodypreacherafteralove—feast，whenhe\'stalkedhisselftoDeath\'sdoor。Theedostna\'getgoodmilkenow，that\'swhatitis，——suchstuffasMonkshavenfolksputupwi\'！\'
\'No，aunt;I\'mquitewell。OnlyI\'mabitputout——vexedlikeatwhatI\'veheerdaboutSylvie。\'
Hisaunt\'sfacechangedimmediately。
\'Andwhattenfolksayofher，nextthing？\'
\'Oh，\'saidPhilip，struckbythedifferenceoflookandmannerinhisaunt，andsubduedbyseeinghowinstantlyshetookalarm。\'Itwereonlymyuncle;——heshouldna\'takeagirllikehertoapublic。Shewerewi\'
himatt\'\"Admiral\'sHead\"upo\'AllSouls\'Day——thatwereall。Thereweremanyaonetherebeside，——itwerestatutefair;butsuchaoneasourSylvieoughtnottobecheapenedwi\'t\'rest。\'
\'Andhetookherthere，didhe？\'saidBell，inseveremeditation。\'I
hadnevernoopiniono\'th\'wenchesas\'llsettheirselvestobehiredforservantsi\'th\'fair;they\'reabadlot，ascannotfindplacesfortheirselves——\'boutgoingandstannin\'tobestaredatbyfolk，andgrinnin\'
wi\'th\'plough—ladswhennoone\'slooking;it\'sabadlook—outfort\'missusastakesoneo\'thesewenchesforaservant;anddosttameantosayasmySylviewentanddemeanedhersel\'todanceandmarlockwi\'a\'th\'fair—folkatth\'\"Admiral\'sHead？\"\'
\'No，no，shedidna\'dance;shebarelysetfooti\'th\'room;butitwereherownprideassavedher;unclewouldniverha\'keptherfromit，forhehadfalleninwi\'Hayleyo\'Seaburnandoneortwoothers，andtheywerehavingaglassi\'t\'bar，andMrsLawson，t\'landlady，knewhowtherewasthemwhowouldcomeanddanceamongparish\'prenticesifneedwere，justtogetawordoralookwi\'Sylvie！Soshetemptsherin，sayingthattheroomwereallsmartenedandfinewi\'flags;andtherewasthemintheroomastoldmethattheyneverweresostartledaswhentheysawourSylvie\'sfacepeepinginamongallt\'flusteredmaidsandmen，roughandredwi\'
weatheranddrink;andJemMacbean，hesaidshewerejustlikeabito\'
apple—blossomamongpeonies;andsomeman，hedidn\'tknowwho，wentupandspoketoher;an\'eitheratthat，oratsomeo\'t\'wordssheheard——forthey\'dgotagoodwayonaforethattime——shewentquitewhiteandmad，asiffirewerecomingoutofhereyes，andthensheturnedredandlefttheroom，forallt\'landladytriedtolaughitoffandkeepherin。
\'I\'llbedowntoMonkshavenbeforeI\'madayolder，andtellMargaretLawsonsomeonmymindasshe\'llnotforgetinahurry。\'
Bellmovedasthoughshewouldputonhercloakandhoodthereandthen。
\'Nay，it\'snotinreasonasawomani\'thatlineo\'lifeshouldn\'ttrytomakeherhouseagreeable，\'saidPhilip。
\'Notwi\'mywench，\'saidBell，inadeterminedvoice。
Philip\'sinformationhadmadeadeeperimpressiononhisauntthanheintended。HehimselfhadbeenannoyedmoreattheideathatSylviawouldbespokenofashavingbeenataroughpieceofrusticgaiety——ayearlyfestivalforthelowerclassesofYorkshireservants，out—dooraswellasin—door——thanattheaffairitself，forhehadlearntfromhisinformanthowinstantaneousherappearancehadbeen。Hestoodwatchinghisaunt\'stroubledface，andalmostwishingthathehadnotspoken。Atlastsheheavedadeepsigh，andstirringthefire，asifbythislittlehouseholdOccupationtocomposehermind，shesaid——
\'It\'sapityaswenchesaren\'tlads，ormarriedfolk。Icouldha\'wished——butitweretheLord\'swill——Itwouldha\'beensummuttolookto，ifshe\'dhadabrother。Mymasterissofullonhisownthoughts，yo\'see，he\'snomindleftforthinkingonher，whatwi\'th\'oats，andth\'wool，andth\'youngcolt，andhisventurei\'th\'LuckyMary。\'
Shereallybelievedherhusbandtohavetheseriousandimportantoccupationforhismindthatshehadbeentaughttoconsiderbefittingthesuperiorintellectofthemasculinegender;shewouldhavetaxedherselfseverely，if，eveninthought，shehadblamedhim，andPhiliprespectedherfeelingstoomuchtosaythatSylvia\'sfatheroughttolookafterhermorecloselyifhemadesuchaprettycreaturesoconstantlyhiscompanion;yetsomesuchspeechwasonlyjustpentwithinPhilip\'sclosedlips。Againhisauntspoke——
\'Iusedtothinkassheandyo\'mightfancyoneanother，butthou\'rttooold—fashionedlikeforher;yewouldna\'suit;andit\'saswell，fornowIcansaytothee，thatIwouldtakeitverykindlyifthouwould\'stlookafterherabit。\'
Philip\'scountenancefellintogloom。Hehadtogulpdowncertainfeelingsbeforehecouldmakeanswerwithdiscretion。
\'HowcanIlookafterher，andmetiedtotheshopmoreandmoreeveryday？\'
\'IcouldsendheronabitofanerrandtoFoster\'s，andthen，forsure，yo\'mightkeepaneyeuponherwhenshe\'sinth\'town;andjustwalkabitwaywithherwhenshe\'sinth\'street，andkeept\'otherfellowsoffher——NedSimpson，t\'butcher，in\'special，forfolksdosayhemeansnogoodbyanygirlhegoeswi\'——andI\'llaskfathertoleaveherabitmorewi\'me。They\'recomingdownth\'brow，andNedSimpsonwi\'them。Now，Philip，Ilooktotheetodoabrother\'spartbymywench，andwarnoffallasisn\'tfit。\'
Thedooropened，andthecoarsestrongvoiceofSimpsonmadeitselfheard。Hewasastoutman，comelyenoughastoformandfeature，butwithadepthofcolourinhisfacethatbetokenedthecomingonofthehabitsofthesot。HisSundayhatwasinhishand，andhesmoothedthelongnapofit，ashesaid，withamixtureofshynessandfamiliarity——
\'Sarvant，missus。Yo\'rmeasterisfainthatIshouldcomeinan\'haveadrop;nooffence，Ihope？\'
Sylviapassedquicklythroughthehouse—place，andwentupstairswithoutspeakingtohercousinPhiliportoanyone。Hesaton，dislikingthevisitor，andalmostdislikinghishospitableuncleforhavingbroughtSimpsonintothehouse，sympathizingwithhisauntinthespiritwhichpromptedhercurtanswers，andintheintervalsofallthesefeelingswonderingwhatgroundshehadforspeakingasifshehadnowgivenupallthoughtofSylviaandhimeverbeingmarried，andinwhatwayhewastoo\'old—fashioned。\'
RobsonwouldgladlyhavepersuadedPhiliptojoinhimandSimpsonintheirdrink，butPhilipwasinnosociablemood，andsatealittlealoof，watchingthestaircasedownwhichsoonerorlaterSylviamustcome，for，asperhapshasbeenalreadysaid，thestairswentupstraightoutofthekitchen。Andatlengthhisyearningwatchwasrewarded;first，thelittlepointedtoecamedaintilyinsight，thenthetrimankleinthetightbluestocking，thewoolofwhichwasspunandthewebofwhichwasknittedbyhermother\'scarefulhands;thenthefullbrownstuffpetticoat，thearmholdingthepetticoatbackindecentfolds，soasnottoencumber\'thedescendingfeet;theslenderneckandshouldershiddenunderthefoldedsquareoffreshwhitemuslin;thecrowningbeautyofthesoftinnocentfaceradiantincolour，andwiththelightbrowncurlsclusteringaround。
ShemadeherwayquicklytoPhilip\'sside;howhisheartbeatatherapproach！
andevenmorewhensheenteredintoalow—voicedtete—a—tete。
\'Isn\'thegoneyet？\'saidshe。\'Icannotabidehim;Icouldha\'pinchedfatherwhenheaskedhimfort\'comein。\'
\'Maybe，he\'llnotstaylong，\'saidPhilip，hardlyunderstandingthemeaningofwhathesaid，sosweetwasittohavehermakingherwhisperedconfidencestohim。
ButSimpsonwasnotgoingtoletheraloneinthedarkcornerbetweenthedoorandthewindow。Hebeganpayinghersomecoarsecountrycompliments——toostrongintheirdirectflatteryforevenherfather\'staste，moreespeciallyashesawbyhiswife\'ssetlipsandfrowningbrowhowmuchshedisapprovedoftheirvisitor\'sstyleofconversation。
\'Come，measter，leavet\'lassalone;she\'ssetupenougha\'ready，hermothermakessuchadealonher。Yo\'an\'me\'smenforsensibletalkatourtimeo\'life。An\'，asIwassaying，t\'horsewasaweaverifiveronewas，asanyonecouldha\'toldashadcomewithinamileonhim。\'
Andinthiswaytheoldfarmerandthebluffbutcherchattedonabouthorses，whilePhilipandSylviasatetogether，heturningoverallmannerofhopesandprojectsforthefuture，inspiteofhisaunt\'sopinionthathewastoo\'old—fashioned\'forherdainty，bloomingdaughter。Perhaps，too，MrsRobsonsawsomereasonforchanginghermindonthisheadasshewatchedSylviathisnight，forsheaccompaniedPhiliptothedoor，whenthetimecameforhimtostarthomewards，andbadehim\'good—night\'withunusualfervour，adding——
\'Thou\'stbeenadealo\'comforttome，lad——a\'mostasoneasifthouwertachildo\'myown，asattimesIcouldwellythinkthouarttobe。
Anyways，Itrusttotheetolookafterthelilelass，ashasnobrothertoguideheramongmen——andmen\'sverykittleforawomantodealwi;butifthou\'lthaveaneyeonwhomsheconsortswi\'，mymind\'llbeeasier。\'
Philip\'sheartbeatfast，buthisvoicewasascalmasusualwhenhereplied——
\'I\'djustkeepherabitalooffromMonkshavenfolks;alassisalwaysthemorethoughtonforbeingcharyofherself;andasfort\'rest，I\'llhaveaneyetothefolksshegoesamong，andifIseethattheydon\'tbefither，I\'lljustgiveherawarning，forshe\'snotonetolikesuchchapsasyonSimpsonthere;shecanseewhat\'sbecominginamantosaytoalass，andwhat\'snot。\'
Philipsetoutonhistwo—milewalkhomewithatumultofhappinessinhisheart。Hewasnotoftencarriedawaybydelusionsofhisowncreating;
to—nighthethoughthehadgoodgroundforbelievingthatbypatientself—restrainthemightwinSylvia\'slove。Ayearagohehadnearlyearnedherdislikebyobtrudinguponherlooksandwordsbetokeninghispassionatelove。Healarmedhergirlishcoyness，aswellasweariedherwiththewishhehadthenfeltthatsheshouldtakeaninterestinhispursuits。But，withunusualwisdom，hehadperceivedhismistake;itwasmanymonthsnowsincehehadbetrayed，bywordorlook，thatshewasanythingmoretohimthanalittlecousintobecaredforandprotectedwhenneedwas。Theconsequencewasthatshehadbecometamed，justasawildanimalistamed;hehadremainedtranquilandimpassive，almostasifhedidnotperceivehershyadvancestowardsfriendliness。Theseadvancesweremadebyherafterthelessonshadceased。Shewasafraidlesthewasdispleasedwithherbehaviourinrejectinghisinstructions，andwasnoteasytillshewasatpeacewithhim;andnow，toallappearance，heandshewereperfectfriends，butnothingmore。Inhisabsenceshewouldnotallowheryoungcompanionstolaughathisgravesobrietyofcharacter，andsomewhatprimdemeanour;shewouldevengoagainstherconscience，anddenythatsheperceivedanypeculiarity。
Whenshewantedit，shesoughthisadviceonsuchsmallsubjectsascameupinherdailylife;andshetriednottoshowsignsofwearinesswhenheusedmorewords——andmoredifficultwords——thanwerenecessarytoconveyhisideas。ButheridealhusbandwasdifferentfromPhilipineverypoint，thetwoimagesneverforaninstantmergedintoone。ToPhilipshewastheonlywomanintheworld;itwastheonesubjectonwhichhedarednotconsider，forfearthatbothconscienceandjudgmentshoulddecideagainsthim，andthatheshouldbeconvincedagainsthiswillthatshewasanunfitmateforhim，thatsheneverwouldbehis，andthatitwaswasteoftimeandlifetokeephershrinedinthedearestsanctuaryofhisbeing，totheexclusionofalltheseriousandreligiousaimswhich，inanyothercase，hewouldhavebeenthefirsttoacknowledgeastheobjectheoughttopursue。ForhehadbeenbroughtupamongtheQuakers，andsharedintheirausteredistrustofaself—seekingspirit;yetwhatelsebutself—seekingwashispassionateprayer，\'GivemeSylvia，orelse，Idie？\'Noothervisionhadevercrossedhismasculinefancyforamoment;hiswasarareandconstantlovethatdeservedabetterfatethanitmetwith。Atthistimehishopeswerehigh，asIhavesaid，notmerelyastothegrowthofSylvia\'sfeelingstowardshim，butastotheprobabilityofhissoonbeinginapositiontoplaceherinsuchcomfort，ashiswife，asshehadneverenjoyedbefore。
ForthebrothersFosterwerethinkingofretiringfrombusiness，andrelinquishingtheshoptotheirtwoshopmen，PhilipHepburnandWilliamCoulson。Tobesure，itwasonlybylookingbackforafewmonths，andnoticingchanceexpressionsandsmallindications，thatthisintentionoftheirscouldbediscovered。Buteverysteptheytooktendedthisway，andPhilipknewtheirusualpracticeofdeliberationtoowelltofeelintheleastimpatientforthequickerprogressoftheendwhichhesawsteadilyapproaching。ThewholeatmosphereoflifeamongtheFriendsatthisdatepartookofthischaracterofself—repression，andbothCoulsonandHepburnsharedinit。CoulsonwasjustasmuchawareoftheprospectopeningbeforehimasHepburn;buttheyneverspoketogetheronthesubject，althoughtheirmutualknowledgemightbeoccasionallyimpliedintheirconversationontheirfuturelives。MeanwhiletheFosterswereimpartingmoreofthebackgroundoftheirbusinesstotheirsuccessors。Forthepresent，atleast，thebrothersmeanttoretainaninterestintheshop，evenaftertheyhadgivenuptheactivemanagement;andtheysometimesthoughtofsettingupaseparateestablishmentasbankers。Theseparationofthebusiness，——theintroductionoftheirshopmentothedistantmanufacturerswhofurnishedtheirgoods（inthosedaysthesystemof\'travellers\'wasnotsowidelyorganizedasitisatpresent），——allthesestepswereingradualprogress;
andalreadyPhilipsawhimselfinimaginationinthedignifiedpositionofjointmasteroftheprincipalshopinMonkshaven，withSylviainstalledashiswife，withcertainlyasilkgown，andpossiblyagigatherdisposal。
InallPhilip\'svisionsoffutureprosperity，itwasSylviawhowastobeaggrandizedbythem;hisownlifewastobespentasitwasnow，prettymuchbetweenthefourshopwalls。
chapter12CHAPTERXIINEWYEAR\'SFETEAllthisenlargementofinterestintheshopoccupiedPhilipfullyforsomemonthsaftertheperiodreferredtointheprecedingchapter。Rememberinghislastconversationwithhisaunt，hemighthavebeenuneasyathisinabilitytoperformhispromiseandlookafterhisprettycousin，butthataboutthemiddleofNovemberBellRobsonhadfallenillofarheumaticfever，andthatherdaughterhadbeenentirelyabsorbedinnursingher。NothoughtofcompanyorgaietywasinSylvia\'smindaslongashermother\'sillnesslasted;vehementinallherfeelings，shediscoveredinthedreadoflosinghermotherhowpassionatelyshewasattachedtoher。Hithertoshehadsupposed，aschildrensooftendo，thatherparentswouldliveforever;andnowwhenitwasaquestionofdays，whetherbythattimethefollowingweekhermothermightnotbeburiedoutofhersightforever，sheclungtoeverysemblanceofservicetoberendered，oraffectionshown，asifshehopedtocondensetheloveandcareofyearsintothefewdaysonlythatmightremain。MrsRobsonlingeredon，beganslowlytorecover，andbeforeChristmaswasagainsittingbythefiresideinthehouse—place，wanandpulleddown，muffledupwithshawlsandblankets，butstillthereoncemore，wherenotlongbeforeSylviahadscarcelyexpectedtoseeheragain。
PhilipcameupthateveningandfoundSylviainwildspirits。Shethoughtthateverythingwasdone，nowthathermotherhadoncecomedownstairsagain;shelaughedwithglee;shekissedhermother;sheshookhandswithPhilip，shealmostsubmittedtoaspeechofmorethanusualtendernessfromhim;but，inthemidstofhiswords，hermother\'spillowswantedarrangingandshewenttoherchair，payingnomoreheedtohiswordsthaniftheyhadbeenaddressedtothecat，thatlyingontheinvalid\'skneewaspurringoutherwelcometotheweakhandfeeblystrokingherback。Robsonhimselfsooncamein，lookingolderandmoresubduedsincePhiliphadseenhimlast。Hewasveryurgentthathiswifeshouldhavesomespiritsandwater;
butonherrefusal，almostasifsheloathedthethoughtofthesmell，hecontentedhimselfwithsharinghertea，thoughhekeptabusingthebeverageas\'washingtheheartoutofaman，\'andattributingallthedegeneracyoftheworld，growingupabouthiminhisoldage，tothedrinkingofsuchslop。Atthesametime，hislittleself—sacrificeputhiminanunusuallygoodtemper;and，mingledwithhisrealgladnessathavinghiswifeoncemoreonthewaytorecovery，broughtbacksomeoftheoldcharmoftendernesscombinedwithlight—heartedness，whichhadwonthesoberIsabellaPrestonlongago。Hesatbyherside，holdingherhand，andtalkingofoldtimestotheyoungcoupleopposite;ofhisadventuresandescapes，andhowhehadwonhiswife。She，faintlysmilingattheremembranceofthosedays，yethalf—ashamedathavingthelittledetailsofhercourtshiprevealed，fromtimetotimekeptsaying，——
\'Forshamewi\'thee，Dannel——Ineverdid，\'andfaintdenialsofasimilarkind。
\'Niverbelieveher，Sylvie。Shewereawoman，andthere\'sniverawomanbutlikestohaveasweetheart，andcantellwhenachap\'scastin\'sheep\'s—eyesather;ay，an\'aforeheknowswhathe\'sabouthissen。Shewereaprettyonethen，wasmyold\'ooman，an\'likedthemasthoughtherso，thoughshedidcockherheadhigh，asbein\'aPreston，whichwereafamilyo\'standin\'
andmeans1thosepartsaforetime。There\'sPhilipthere，I\'llwarrant，isasproudo\'bein\'Prestonbyt\'mother\'sside，foritrunsi\'t\'blood，lass。AcantellwhenachildofaPrestontak\'stobeingproudo\'theirkin，byt\'cuto\'theirnose。NowPhilip\'sandmymissushasaturnbeyondcommoni\'theirnostrils，asiftheywassniffin\'att\'restofusworld，an\'seein\'ifwewasgoodenoughfor\'emtoconsortwi\'。Theean\'me，lass，isRobsons——oat—cakefolk，whilethey\'spie—crust。LordhowBellusedtospeaktome，asshortasthoughawasn\'taChristian，an\'a\'t\'timeshelovedmeasherverylife，an\'wellaknewit，tho\'a\'dtomak\'astho\'
adidn\'t。Philip，whenthougoescourtin\'，comet\'me，anda\'llgivetheemanyawrinkle。A\'veshown\'too，asaknowwellhowt\'chooseagoodwifebytokensan\'signs，hannota，missus？Comet\'me，mylad，andshowmet\'lass，an\'a\'lljusttak\'asquintather，an\'tellyo\'ifshe\'lldoornot;an\'ifshe\'lldo，a\'llteachyo\'howtowinher。\'
\'Theysayanothero\'yonCorneygirlsisgoingtobemarried，\'saidMrsRobson，inherfaintdeliberatetones。
\'Bygoshan\'it\'swellthou\'stspokeon\'em;awasascleanforgettin\'
itasivercouldbe。AmetNannyCorneyi\'Monkshavenlastneet，andsheaxedmefort\'letourSylviacomeo\'NewYear\'sEve，an\'seeMollyan\'
herman，that\'nasiswedbeyondNewcassel，they\'llbeoveratherfeyther\'s，fort\'NewYear，an\'there\'stobeamerry—making。\'
Sylvia\'scolourcame，hereyesbrightened，shewouldhavelikedtogo;
butthethoughtofhermothercameacrossher，andherfeaturesfell。Hermother\'seyecaughtthelookandthechange，andknewwhatbothmeantaswellasifSylviahadspokenout。
\'Thursdayse\'nnight，\'saidshe。\'I\'llberareandstrongbythen，andSylvieshallgoplayhersen;she\'sbeennurse—tendinglongenough。\'
\'You\'rebutweaklyyet，\'saidPhilipshortly;hedidnotintendtosayit，butthewordsseemedtocomeoutinspiteofhimself。
\'Asaidasourlassshouldcome，Godwillin\'，ifsheonlycameandwent，an\'theegoin\'onsprightly，old\'ooman。An\'a\'llturnnurse—tendermysenfort\'occasion，\'specialifthoucanstandt\'goodhonestsmello\'whiskybythen。So，mylass，getupthysmartclothes，andcutt\'beston\'emout，asbecomesaPreston。Maybe，a\'llfetchtheehome，an\'maybePhilipwillconvoythee，forNannyCorneybadetheetot\'merry—making，aswell。
Shesaidhermeasterwouldbeseem\'theeaboutt\'woolaforethen。\'
\'Idon\'tthinkasIcango，\'saidPhilip，secretlypleasedtoknowthathehadtheopportunityinhispower;\'I\'mhalfboundtogoWi\'HesterRoseandhermothertot\'watch—night。\'
\'IsHesteraMethodee？\'askedSylviainsurprise。
\'No！she\'sneitheraMethodee，noraFriend，noraChurchperson;butshe\'saturnforseriousthings，choosewhereverthey\'refound。\'
\'Well，then，\'saidgood—naturedfarmerRobson，onlyseeingthesurfaceofthings，\'a\'llmakeshifttofetchSylviebackfra\'t\'merry—making，andtheean\'thyyoungwomancangotot\'prayer—makin\';it\'severymantohistaste，sayI。\'
Butinspiteofhishalf—promise，nayagainsthisnaturalinclination，PhilipwasluredtotheCorneys\'bythethoughtofmeetingSylvia，ofwatchingherandexultinginhersuperiorityinprettylooksandwaystoalltheothergirlslikelytobeassembled。Besides（hetoldhisconscience）hewaspledgedtohisaunttowatchoverSylvialikeabrother。SointheintervalbeforeNewYear\'sEve，hesilentlyrevelledasmuchasanyyounggirlintheanticipationofthehappycomingtime。
Atthishour，alltheactorsinthisstoryhavingplayedouttheirpartsandgonetotheirrest，thereissomethingtouchinginrecordingthefutileeffortsmadebyPhiliptowinfromSylviatheloveheyearnedfor。But，atthetime，anyonewhohadwatchedhimmighthavebeenamusedtoseethegrave，awkward，plainyoungmanstudyingpatternsandcoloursforanewwaistcoat，withhisheadalittleononeside，afterthemeditativemannercommontothosewhoarechoosinganewarticleofdress。Theymighthavesmiledcouldtheyhavereadinhisimaginationthefrequentrehearsalsofthecomingevening，whenheandsheshouldeachbedressedintheirgalaattire，tospendafewhoursunderabright，festiveaspect，amongpeoplewhosecompanywouldobligethemtoassumeanewdemeanourtowardseachother，notsofamiliarastheireverydaymanner，butallowingmorescopefortheexpressionofrusticgallantry。Philiphadsoseldombeentoanythingofthekind，that，evenhadSylvianotbeengoing，hewouldhavefeltakindofshyexcitementattheprospectofanythingsounusual。
But，indeed，ifSylviahadnotbeengoing，itisveryprobablethatPhilip\'srigidconsciencemighthavebeenarousedtothequestionwhethersuchpartiesdidnotsavourtoomuchoftheworldforhimtoformoneinthem。
Asitwas，however，thefactstohimweresimplythese。Hewasgoingandshewasgoing。Thedaybefore，hehadhurriedofftoHaytersbankFarmwithasmallpaperparcelinhispocket——aribbonwithalittlebriar—rosepatternrunninguponitforSylvia。Itwasthefirstthinghehadeverventuredtogiveher——thefirstthingofthekindwould，perhaps，bemoreaccurate;forwhenhehadfirstbeguntoteachheranylessons，hehadgivenherMavor\'sSpelling—book，butthathemighthavedone，outofzealforknowledge，toanydunceofalittlegirlofhisacquaintance。Thisribbonwasquiteadifferentkindofpresent;hetouchedittenderly，asifhewerecaressingit，whenhethoughtofherwearingit;thebriar—rose（sweetnessandthorns）seemedtobetheveryflowerforher;thesoft，greengroundonwhichthepinkandbrownpatternran，wasjustthecolourtoshowoffhercomplexion。Andshewouldinawaybelongtohimhercousin，hermentor，herchaperon\'herlover！Whileothersonlyadmired，hemighthopetoappropriate;foroflatetheyhadbeensuchhappyfriends！Hermotherapprovedofhim，herfatherlikedhim。Afewmonths，perhapsonlyafewweeksmoreofself—restraint，andthenhemightgoandspeakopenlyofhiswishes，andwhathehadtooffer。Forhehadresolved，withthequietforceofhischaracter，towaituntilallwasfinallysettledbetweenhimandhismasters，beforehedeclaredhimselftoeitherSylviaorherparents。Theintervalwasspentinpatient，silentendeavourstorecommendhimselftoher。
HehadtogivehisribbontohisauntinchargeforSylvia，andthatwasadisappointmenttohisfancy，althoughhetriedtoreasonhimselfintothinkingthatitwasbetterso。Hehadnottimetowaitforherreturnfromsomeerrandonwhichshehadgone，forhewasdailymoreandmoreoccupiedwiththeaffairsoftheshop。
Sylviamademanyapromisetohermother，andmoretoherself，thatshewouldnotstaylateattheparty，butshemightgoasearlyassheliked;andbeforetheDecemberdaylighthadfadedaway，SylviapresentedherselfattheCorneys\'。Shewastocomeearlyinordertohelptosetoutthesupper，whichwasarrangedinthelargeoldflaggedparlour，whichservedasbestbed—roomaswell。Itopenedoutofthehouse—place，andwasthesacredroomofthehouse，aschambersofasimilardescriptionarestillconsideredinretiredfarmhousesinthenorthofEngland。Theyareusedonoccasionsliketheonenowdescribedforpurposesofhospitality;