Adam Bede

rusty that the force necessary to turn it on its hinges would be likely to pull down the square stone-built pillars, to the detrimen

ck wall with its smooth stone coping; but by putting our eyes close to the rusty bars of the

urrounding the three gables, the windows, and the door-place. But the windows are patched with wooden panes, and the door, I think, is like the gate — it is never opened. How it would groan and grate against the stone fioor if

fall and rot among the grass, if it were not that we heard the booming bark of dogs echoing from great buildings at the back. And now the half- weaned calves that have been shelteri

dogs in it, and a bare boarded floor; at the far end, fleeces of wool stacked up; in the middle of the floor, some empty corn-bags. That is the furniture of the dining-room. And what through the left-hand window? Several clothes-horses, a pillion, a spinning-wheel, and an old box wide open and stuffed ful

of Donnithorne. It was once the Hall; it is now the Hall Farm. Like the life in some coast town that was once a watering-place, and is now a port, where the genteel streets are silent an

the red tiles of the cow-shed, and turning even the muddy water that is hurrying along the channel to the drain into a mirror for the yellow-billed ducks, who are seizing the opportunity of getting a drink with as much body in it as possible. There is quite a concert of noises; the great bull-dog, chained against the stables, is thrown into furious exasperation by the unwary approach of a cock too near the mouth of his kennel, and sends forth a thundering

ours since dinner, and the house-floor is perfectly clean again; as clean as everything else in that wonderful house- place, where the only chance of collecting a few grains of dust would be to climb on the salt-coffer, and put your finger on the high mantel-shelf on which the glittering brass candlesticks are enjoying their summer sinecure; for at this time of year, of course, every one goes to bed while it is yet light, or at least light enough to discern the outline of objects after you have bruised your shins against them. Surely nowhere else could an oak clock-case and an oak table have go

r blue-grey eye from the kitchen to the dairy, where Hetty was making up the butter, and from the dairy to the back kitchen, where Nancy was taking the pies out of the oven. Do not suppose, however, that Mrs. Poyser was elderly or shrewish in her appearance; she was a good-looking woman, not more than eight-and-thirty, of fair complexion and sandy hair, well-shapen, light-footed. The most conspicuous article in her attire was an ample checkered linen apron, which almost covered her skirt; and nothing could be plainer or less noticeable than her cap and gown, for there was no weakness of which she was less tolerant than feminine vanity, and the preference of ornament to utility. The fami

ppearance Molly had got through her after-dinner work in an exemplary manner, had “cleaned herself” with great dispatch, and now came to ask, submissively, if she should sit down to her spinning til

new no more o’ what belongs to work when you come here than the mawkin i’ the field. As poor a two-fisted thing as ever I saw, you know you was. Who taught you to scrub a floor, I should like to know? Why, you’d leave the dirt in heaps i’ the corners — anybody ’ud think you’d never been brought up among Christians. And as for spinning, why, you’ve wasted as much as your wage i’ the flax you’ve spoiled learning to spin. And you’ve a right to feel that, and not to go about as gaping and as thoughtless

Dantean picture of her future, “on’y we allays used to comb the wool for ’n at Mester Ottley’s; an’

gs, for my part. And as to that Betty as was dairymaid at Trent’s before she come to me, she’d ha’ left the cheeses without turning from week’s end to week’s end, and the dairy thralls, I might ha’ wrote my name on ’em, when I come downstairs after my illness, as the doctor said it was inflammation — it was a mercy I got we

wite told; pease pu

ed on a high chair at the end of the ironing table, was arduously clutching the handle of a miniature iron with her tiny fa

ility with which she could relapse from her official objurgatory to one of fondness or of friendly

do into de barn to Tom

Mrs. Poyser, carrying away her iron. “Run into

sts; at the same time, taking the opportunity of her momentary leisure to put her fingers into a bowl of

when her eye had fallen on the blue stream. “The child’s allays i’ mischief if

n retreat towards the dairy with a sort of waddling run, and an amount of fat on the

ys lay ready at hand, and was the work she liked best, because she could carry it on automatically as she walked to and fro. B

, only her hair was a deal darker than yours, and she was stouter and broader i’ the shoulders. Judith and me allays hung together, though she had such queer ways, but your mother and her never could agree. Ah, your mother little thought as she’d have a daughter just cut out after the very pattern o’ Judith, and leave her an orphan, too, for Judith to take care on, and bring up with a spoon when SHE was in the grave

you too, Aunt Rachel. I often heard her talk of you in the same sort of way. When she had that bad illness, and I was only eleven years old, she

a poor wool-gathering Methodist and’s never like to have a penny beforehand, I know your uncle ’ud help you with a pig, and very like a cow, for he’s allays been good-natur’d to my kin, for all they’re poor, and made ’em welcome to the house; and ’ud do for you, I’ll be bound, as much as ever he’d do for Hetty, though she’s his own niece. And there’s linen in the house as I could well spare you, for I’ve got lots o’ sheeting and table-clothing, and towelling, as isn’t made up. There’s a piece o’ sheeting I could give you as that squinting Kitty spun — she was a rare girl to spin, for all she squinted, and the chi

what’s in the Bible

you, the world must come to a standstill; for if everybody tried to do without house and home, and with poor eating and drinking, and was allays talking as we must despise the things o’ the world as you say, I should like to know where the pick o’ the stock, and the corn, and the be

so that this is done in the fear of the Lord, and that they are not unmindful of the soul’s wants while they are caring for the body. We can all be servants of God wherever our lot is cast, but He gives us different sorts of work, according as He fits us for it and calls us to it. I can no more help spending

ust the same if I was to talk to you for hours. You’d make me the same answer, a

to Dinah, in rather a flurried, awe-stricken tone, “If there isn’t Captain Donnithorne and Mr. Irwine a-coming into the yard! I’ll lay my life they’re come to speak about your preaching on the Green, Dinah; it’s you must answer ’em, for I’m dumb. I’ve said enough a’ready about your bringing such disgrace upo’ your u

rs. I’ve strong assurance that no evil will happen to you and my uncle an

’s a bigger maggot than usial in your head you call it ‘direction’; and then nothing can stir you — you look like the statty o’

eet them, curtsying low and trembling between anger with Dinah and anxiety to conduct herself with perfect propriety on the occasion. For in those days the keenest

?” said Mr. Irwine, with his stately cordiality. “Our fee

rs. Poyser. “Will you and the capta

his eye were seeking something it could not find. “I delight in your kitchen. I think it is the m

little by this compliment and the captain’s evident good-humour, but still glancing

onnithorne, seating himself where he could see

Mr. West, the factor, about the wool. But there’s

your shepherd. I must come another day and see your husband; I want to have a c

inute. If we’d got rid o’ the Scantlands, we should have no outlying fields; and I should be glad of it, for if ever anything happens, he’s sure to be gone to the Sc

enty. I think yours is the prettiest farm on the estate, though; and do you know, Mrs. Poyser, if I were going

man as wants to get his bread — you could afford to lose as much money as you liked i’ farming — but it’s poor fun losing money, I should think, though I understan’ it’s what the great folks i’ London play at more than anything. For my husband heard at market as Lord Dacey’s eldest son had lost thousands upo’ thousands to the Prince o’ Wale

such a place. But there’s no chance of that. I’m not likely to settle for the next twenty years, till I’m

good. And as I’ve said to my husband often and often, I’m sure if the captain had anything to do with it, it wouldn’t be so. Not as I wish to speak disrespectful o’ them as have got the power i’ their hands, but it’s more than flesh and blood ’ull bear sometimes, to be toiling and striving, and up early

y check from her preliminary awe of the gentry. The confidence she felt in h

on the estate I would sooner say a word for than your husband. I know his farm is in better order than any other within ten miles of us; and as for the kit

ng was thrown late, and I’m quite ashamed.” This Mrs. Poyser said blushing, and believing that the captain

Take me in,” said the captain, himself l