Daniel Deronda

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spirit in the household, was metamorphosed into an irresponsive, dull-eyed creature who met all affectionate attempts with a murmur of "Let me alone." His father looked beyond the crisis, and believed it to be the shortest way out of an unlucky affair; but he was sorry for the inevitable suffering, and went now and then to sit by him in silence for a few minutes, parting with a gentle pressure of his hand on Rex's blank brow, and a "God bl

burden of poor little Anna's inward monody. And even Mrs. Gascoigne had an angry feeling t

she is hard; she has the heart of a coquette. I can not help thinking that she must have made him believe something, or the disapp

en more awake myself. As to the boy, be thankful if nothing worse ever happens to him. Let the thing di

eeling was that there h

Rex in return would h

f which might have been

through some fu

o nothing but listen for his coming down, and at last hearing his step, ran to the foot of the stairs to meet him. For

wly along with him to the drawing-room. His mother was there,

he garden hedge there was a road where wagons and carts sometimes went on field-work: a railed opening was made in the hedge, because the upland with its bordering wood and clump of ash-trees against the sky was a pretty sight. Presently there came along a wagon laden with timber; the horses were straining their grand muscles, and the driver having cracked his whip, ran along anxiously to guide the leader's head, fearing a swerve. Rex seemed to be

go to Canada, or somewhere of that sort." (Rex had n

, not fo

ild a hut, and work hard at clearing, and have e

you?" said Anna, the

cou

make the fires, and mend the clothes, and cook the food; and I could learn how to make the bread before we went. It would be nicer than

other would n

everything. It would save money; and papa

s, and it ended in Rex's being obliged to consent that Anna s

mother would become reconciled to whatever he decided on, but

id Mr. Gascoigne, cheer

ort to see Re

little, papa?" said Anna.

all my

he eye. The gray-haired father was at once massive and keen-looking; there was a perpendicular line in his brow which when he spoke with any force of interest deepened; and the habit of ruling gave him an air of reserved authoritativeness. Rex would have seemed a vision of his father's youth, if it had been possibl

at has upset me, fathe

igne

se my going back to Oxford. I couldn't do any reading. I should fail, and cause y

e perpendicular line on his brow dee

e." Rex thought the vagueness of the phrase prudential; "the colonies" necessarily embracing more ad

f him, you know-some one to keep house. And we shall never, either of us, be married. And I should cost nothing, and I should be so happy.

o her papa as she spoke. He did not smile, but he drew her on his knee and hel

of judging for you, and that I can probably guide you i

iged to say

wish to press that point-that you are bound

his secret soul could not feel that he was bound not to go to the c

ns which my experience of life assures me of. You think, I suppose, that you have had a shock which has changed all your inclinatio

shall never be the same again. And without any disrespect to you, father, I think a young fellow should be allowed to choose his way of l

by your education till now? Have you not strength of mind enough to see that you had better act on my assurance for a time, and test it? In my opinion, so far from agreeing with you that you should be free to turn yourself into a colonist and work i

can I do? I can't study-

appointed in you, Rex. I thought you had more sense than to take up such ideas-to suppose that because you have fallen into a very common trouble, such

any thing that might be said, that he should like to go off to "the colonies" to-morrow, it lay in a deep fold of his consciousness that he oug

end. "You assent to my arrangement, then?" said Mr. Gascoigne, with

I'll try what I can do, sir. I can't promise."

w Rex. "Oh, papa," she said, the tears coming with her words when

over. And now, Anna, be as quiet as a mouse about

olen for any thing-to have people fall i

her secret feeling, and she often afterward went inwardly over the whole affair, saying to herself, "I should h

as the period when the broadening of gauge in crinolines seemed to demand an agitation for the general enlargement of churches, b