reproach,—
'Why, Paul, you never told me what kind of a fellow this
minister-cousin of yours was!'
'I don't know that I found out, sir,' said I. 'But if I had, I don't
think you'd have listened to me, as you have done to my father.'
'No! most likely not, old fellow,' replied Mr Holdsworth, laughing. And
again and afresh I saw what a handsome pleasant clear face his was; and
though this evening I had been a bit put out with him—through his
sudden coming, and his having heard my father's open-hearted
confidence—my hero resumed all his empire over me by his bright merry
laugh.
And if he had not resumed his old place that night, he would have done
so the next day, when, after my father's departure, Mr Holdsworth spoke
about him with such just respect for his character, such ungrudging
admiration of his great mechanical genius, that I was compelled to say,
almost unawares,—
'Thank you, sir. I am very much obliged to you.'
'Oh, you're not at all. I am only speaking the truth. Here's a
Birmingham workman, self-educated, one may say—having never associated
with stimulating minds, or had what advantages travel and contact with
the world may be supposed to afford—working out his own thoughts into
steel and iron, making a scientific name for himself—a fortune, if it
pleases him to work for money—and keeping his singleness of heart, his
perfect simplicity of manner; it puts me out of patience to think of my
expensive schooling, my travels hither and thither, my heaps of
scientific books, and I have done nothing to speak of. But it's
evidently good blood; there's that Mr Holman, that cousin of yours,
made of the same stuff'
'But he's only cousin because he married my mother's second cousin,'
said I.
'That knocks a pretty theory on the head, and twice over, too. I should
like to make Holman's acquaintance.'
'I am sure they would be so glad to see you at Hope Farm,' said I,
eagerly. 'In fact, they've asked me to bring you several times: only I
thought you would find it dull.'
'Not at all. I can't go yet though, even if you do get me an
invitation; for the — Company want me to go to the — Valley, and
look over the ground a bit for them, to see if it would do for a branch
line; it's a job which may take me away for some time; but I shall be
backwards and forwards, and you're quite up to doing what is needed in
my absence; the only work that may be beyond you is keeping old Jevons
from drinking.' He went on giving me directions about the management of
the men employed on the line, and no more was said then, or for several
months, about his going to Rope Farm. He went off into — Valley, a
dark overshadowed dale, where the sun seemed to set behind the hills
before four o'clock on midsummer afternoon. Perhaps it was this that
brought on the attack of low fever which he had soon after the
beginning of the new year; he was very ill for many weeks, almost many
months; a married sister—his only relation, I think—came down from
London to nurse him, and I went over to him when I could, to see him,
and give him 'masculine news,' as he called it; reports of the progress
of the line, which, I am glad to say, I was able to carry on in his
absence, in the slow gradual way which suited the company best, while
trade was in a languid state, and money dear in the market. Of course,
with this occupation for my scanty leisure, I did not often go over to
Hope Farm. Whenever I did go, I met with a thorough welcome; and many
inquiries were made as to Holdsworth's illness, and the progress of his
recovery.
At length, in June I think it was, he was sufficiently recovered to
come back to his lodgings at Eltham, and resume part at least of his
work. His sister, Mrs Robinson, had been obliged to leave him some
weeks before, owing to some epidemic amongst her own children. As long
as I had seen Mr Holdsworth in the rooms at the little inn at
Hensleydale, where I had been accustomed to look upon him as an
invalid, I had not been aware of
'Why, Paul, you never told me what kind of a fellow this
minister-cousin of yours was!'
'I don't know that I found out, sir,' said I. 'But if I had, I don't
think you'd have listened to me, as you have done to my father.'
'No! most likely not, old fellow,' replied Mr Holdsworth, laughing. And
again and afresh I saw what a handsome pleasant clear face his was; and
though this evening I had been a bit put out with him—through his
sudden coming, and his having heard my father's open-hearted
confidence—my hero resumed all his empire over me by his bright merry
laugh.
And if he had not resumed his old place that night, he would have done
so the next day, when, after my father's departure, Mr Holdsworth spoke
about him with such just respect for his character, such ungrudging
admiration of his great mechanical genius, that I was compelled to say,
almost unawares,—
'Thank you, sir. I am very much obliged to you.'
'Oh, you're not at all. I am only speaking the truth. Here's a
Birmingham workman, self-educated, one may say—having never associated
with stimulating minds, or had what advantages travel and contact with
the world may be supposed to afford—working out his own thoughts into
steel and iron, making a scientific name for himself—a fortune, if it
pleases him to work for money—and keeping his singleness of heart, his
perfect simplicity of manner; it puts me out of patience to think of my
expensive schooling, my travels hither and thither, my heaps of
scientific books, and I have done nothing to speak of. But it's
evidently good blood; there's that Mr Holman, that cousin of yours,
made of the same stuff'
'But he's only cousin because he married my mother's second cousin,'
said I.
'That knocks a pretty theory on the head, and twice over, too. I should
like to make Holman's acquaintance.'
'I am sure they would be so glad to see you at Hope Farm,' said I,
eagerly. 'In fact, they've asked me to bring you several times: only I
thought you would find it dull.'
'Not at all. I can't go yet though, even if you do get me an
invitation; for the — Company want me to go to the — Valley, and
look over the ground a bit for them, to see if it would do for a branch
line; it's a job which may take me away for some time; but I shall be
backwards and forwards, and you're quite up to doing what is needed in
my absence; the only work that may be beyond you is keeping old Jevons
from drinking.' He went on giving me directions about the management of
the men employed on the line, and no more was said then, or for several
months, about his going to Rope Farm. He went off into — Valley, a
dark overshadowed dale, where the sun seemed to set behind the hills
before four o'clock on midsummer afternoon. Perhaps it was this that
brought on the attack of low fever which he had soon after the
beginning of the new year; he was very ill for many weeks, almost many
months; a married sister—his only relation, I think—came down from
London to nurse him, and I went over to him when I could, to see him,
and give him 'masculine news,' as he called it; reports of the progress
of the line, which, I am glad to say, I was able to carry on in his
absence, in the slow gradual way which suited the company best, while
trade was in a languid state, and money dear in the market. Of course,
with this occupation for my scanty leisure, I did not often go over to
Hope Farm. Whenever I did go, I met with a thorough welcome; and many
inquiries were made as to Holdsworth's illness, and the progress of his
recovery.
At length, in June I think it was, he was sufficiently recovered to
come back to his lodgings at Eltham, and resume part at least of his
work. His sister, Mrs Robinson, had been obliged to leave him some
weeks before, owing to some epidemic amongst her own children. As long
as I had seen Mr Holdsworth in the rooms at the little inn at
Hensleydale, where I had been accustomed to look upon him as an
invalid, I had not been aware of
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