Felix Holt the Radical

here's a hurry in

makes a vice of

if the coolness o

Be loss

ll things coo

n itself, they say,

eneral level, no

a poor climax, to

That future

er than of approbation. The room was dismally furnished, the only objects indicating an intention of ornament being a bookcase, a map of the Holy Land, an engraved portrait of Dr Doddridge, and a black bust with a coloured face, which for some reason or other was covered with green gauze. Yet any one whose attention was quite awake must have been aware,

et, he stared at the wax-candle opposite to him, he did so without any wonder or consciousness that the candle was not of tallow. But the minister's sensitiveness gave

but this undue luxury is paid for with the earnings of my daughter, who

k Heaven I am not a mouse to have a n

must be very quiet and deliberate in his treatment of the eccentric young man; but now, quite unreflectingly, he drew forth

d and adjusted his glasses, 'so that I have a sufficient light on my

' said Felix, smiling pleasantly enough at his inspector. 'You'

shock as his glasses made perfectly clear to him the shaggy-headed, large-eyed, strong-limbed person of this questionable young man, without waistcoat or cravat. But the possibil

and such small accidents of our vesture, which are nevertheless decent and needful so long as we sojourn in the flesh. And you too, my young friend, as I gather from your mother's troubled and confused report, a

than I have about pocket-picking. I know there's a stage of speculation in which a man may doubt whether a pickpocket is blame-worthy - but I'm not one of your subtle fellows who keep looking at the world through

uld otherwise have been. 'I know they have been well reported of, and many wise persons have tried remedies providentially discovered by those who are not regular physicians, and have found a blessing in the use of them. I may mention the eminent Mr Wesley, who, though I hold not altogether with his Arminian doctrine, nor with the u

o more harm. I know something about these things. I was 'prentice for five miserable years to a stupid brute of a country apothecary - my poor father left money for that - he thought nothing could be finer for me. No matter: I know that th

sectarian prejudice, and he did not rely at once on a loud-spoken integrity - Satan might have flavoure

od deal longer than I've acted on it, like plent

, ve

onverted by six w

close to Felix and laying a hand on his shoulder, 'speak not

my stockings out at heel and a shilling or two to be dissipated upon, with a smell of raw haggis mounting from below, and old women breathing gin as they passed me on the stairs - wanting to turn my life into easy pleasure. Then I began to see what else it could be turned into. Not much, perhaps. This world is not a very fine place for a good many of the

lder and walked about again. 'Did you sit

reachers once, but I never

It was not yet plain whether he wanted to hear twice the preacher in Malthouse Yard. But the resentf

honourable. But your mother is advanced in years; she needs comfortable sustenance; you have doubtless considered how you may make her amends? "He that provideth not for his own -" I trust you respect the authority that so speaks. And I will not suppose that, after being tende

al. With my watch and clock cleaning, and teaching one or two little chaps that I've got to come to

acquainted with all such openings. Any place in Pendrell's Bank, I fear, is now closed against such as are not Churchmen. It used not to be so, but a year ago he discharged Brother Bodkin, although he was a valuable s

straps, and pass the live-long day with a set of fellows who spend their spare money on shirt-pins. That sort of work is really lower than many handicrafts; it only happens to be paid out of proportion. That's why I set myself to learn the watchmaking trade.

ser of Glasgow preachers had been arguing in favour of gin and Sabbath-breaking, Mr Lyon's course would have been clearer. 'Well, well,' h

ignorant as the working people about everything that doesn't belong to their own Brummagem life. That's how the working men are left to foolish device

be well to smile too readily at what seemed but a weedy resemblance of Christian unworldliness. On the

of liberty and to the public wellbeing. The ring and the robe of Joseph were no objects for a good man's ambition, but they were

hanged his likings first and then his reasoning, which will follow his likings as the feet of a hungry dog follow his nose. I'll have none of your clerkly gentility. I might end by collecting greasy pence from poor men to buy myself a fine coat and a

political movements of these times?' said Mr

man who has not - or, having it, d

and, indeed, irreconcilable with salvation! 'That is my own view, which I maintain in the face of some opposition from brethren who contend that a share in public movements is a hindrance to the closer walk, and that the pulpit is no place for teaching men their duties as members of the common-wealth. I have had much puerile blame cast upon me because I

there,' said Felix, with h

should not meddle with public matters in the pulpit?' said

t or out of it. It's little enough anybody can get hold of, and still less what he can drive i

but to warn you. It is good that you should use plainness of speech, and I am not of those who would enforce a submissive silence on the young, that they themselves, being elders, may be heard at large; for Elihu was the youngest of Job's friends, yet was there a wise rebuke in his words; and the aged Eli was taught by a revelation to the boy Samuel. I have to keep a special watch over myself in this matter, inasmuch as I have a need of utterance which makes the thought within me seem as a pent-up fire, until I have shot it forth, as it were, in arrowy wor

used to look round, but seeing only

ws, but is shut up from receiving and holding ought

lined to clench my fist at you.' 'Well, well,' said Mr Lyon, shaking the proffered hand, 'we shall see more of each other, and I trust shall have much profitable communing. You will stay and have a dish of

and the transparency of his talk, which gave a charm even to his weaknesses. The daughter was probably some prim Miss, neat, sensible, pious, but all in a small feminine way, in whic

e, who knew me, laughed out and said I was the most blasphemous iconoclast living. "That," says my phrenologist, "is because of his large Ideali

lf", and too often leads to a self-estimate which will subsist in the absence of that fruit by which alone the quality of the tree is made evident. Nev

of ministers' daughters in general; and though he had expected something nowise delightful, the incongruity repelled him. A very delicate scent, the faint suggestion of a garden, was wafted as she went. He would not observe her, but he had a sense of an elastic walk, the tread of small feet, a long neck and a high crown of shining bro

aled dispensations. And it is undeniable that we have our varying native dispositions which even grace will not obliterate. I myself, from my y

ter,' said Felix. 'But truth-vendors and medicine-vendors usually recommend swallowing. When a man sees h

personal intention. The minister's daughter was now for the first time startled into looking at Felix. But he

s poured o

danger of his looking at her; he was observing her father. She had time to remark that he was a peculiar-looking person, but not insignificant, which was the quality that most hopelessly

lue-frilled work-basket, flying open, and dispersing on the floor reels, thimble, muslin work, a small sealed bottle of at

e small rolling things while Felix was lifting the basket and the book. This last had opened, and had its leaves crushed in fall

ering all the other articles. ' "The Dream" - he'd better have been as

but it was with a strong denunciatory and pedagogic intention. O

ng neck, and said, as she re

eat admirati

is scene, wrinkling the corners of his eyes with a perplexed smile. Esther would not have wis

He knew scarcely anything of the poet, whose books embodi

'whose notion of a hero was that he should disorder his stomach and despise mankind. His corsairs and renegad

ok to me,' s

sther. 'However objectionable Mr Holt may find its pages, they wou

ing down the book on the small table behin

g, long-necked peacock for his daughter? but she shall see that I am not frightened.' Then he said

command, that they make the smallest argument seem formidable. If I had ever met the gi

ent utterance. Her sauciness was always charming, because it was withou

her thrust with

e as if they were the reports of a sixth sense which I possess not. I am an eager seeker for precision, and would fain find language subtle enough to follow the utmost in

s unpleasant, so you'd better say "sugar-plums", or something else such a long way off the fact that nobody is obliged to think of it. Those are your round-

yn came in and spoke to me with grand politeness, and asked me at what times you were likely to be disengaged, because he wished to make your better acqu

aid the ministe

is coming. Universal peace is declared, and the foxes have a sincere int

to the poll as if they were sheep. And it has even been hinted that the heir who is coming from the East may be another Tory candidate, a

s Jermyn tell her sister that she had s

ange,' sai

l educated and ladylike. She always thought Dissenters were ignorant, vulgar people. I said, so they were, usually, and Church people also in small towns. She considers herself a judge of

dyism is as good as

hat flare in people's eyes, or use importunate scents, or make a noise as she m

nd admires Childe Harold - gentlemen of unspeakable woes, who emp

all airs and small notions, about as applicable to the business of life as a pair of tweezers to the clearing of a fo

Men who are unpleasant companions and make frights of thems

spect towards those venerable pilgrims. They struggled and endured in order to c

hastily, dreading a discou

to the pillory and lost their ears. She would have said, "Their ears did stick out so." I shouldn't wonder if that's a bust of

Providence - doubtless for wise ends in relation to the inner man, for I would not inquire too closely into minutiae which carry too many plausible interpretatio

Suppose you had squinted yoursel

Mr Holt,' said Esther, rising and placing herself at her

ke to come and scold her every day, and

e up more of your valuable time, Mr Lyon. I

ere, though the hearers do not multiply save among the women, and there is no work as yet begun among the miners themselves. I shall be

everal times. I had a congregation

?' said Mr Lyon, wit

I went to th

n, even as Samson did to his companions. From what you said but la

take a little knowledge and common sense to them in this way, else how are they to get it? I go for educating the non-electo

with his old acquaintance. 'We shall underst

good-evening

ry slightly, wi

that, as the traveller in the desert is often lured, by a false vision of water and freshness, to turn aside from the track which leads to the tried and established fountains, so the Evil One will take advantage of a natural yearning towards the better, to delude the soul wi

a touch of temper in her voice. 'But he speaks better En

tand, he hopes to maintain his mother, not thinking it right that she should li

ught he was something higher t

? Married foolishly, I suppose. I'll never marry, though I should have to live on raw turnips to subdue my flesh. I'll never look back and say, "I had a fine purpose once - I meant to keep my hands clean, and my soul upright, and to look truth in the face; but pray excuse me, I have a wife and children - I must lie and simper a little, else they'll starve! " or, "My wife is nice, she must have her bread wel