Page 804 - middlemarch

‘It is come round as I thought, Susan,’ said Caleb, when
they were seated alone in the evening. He had already nar-
rated the adventure which had brought about Fred’s sharing
in his work, but had kept back the further result. ‘The chil-
dren ARE fond of each other— I mean, Fred and Mary.’
Mrs. Garth laid her work on her knee, and fixed her pen-
etrating eyes anxiously on her husband.
‘After we’d done our work, Fred poured it all out to me.
He can’t bear to be a clergyman, and Mary says she won’t
have him if he is one; and the lad would like to be under me
and give his mind to business. And I’ve determined to take
him and make a man of him.’
‘Caleb!’ said Mrs. Garth, in a deep contralto, expressive
of resigned astonishment.
‘It’s a fine thing to do,’ said Mr. Garth, settling him-
self firmly against the back of his chair, and grasping the
elbows. ‘I shall have trouble with him, but I think I shall
carry it through. The lad loves Mary, and a true love for a
good woman is a great thing, Susan. It shapes many a rough
fellow.’
‘Has Mary spoken to you on the subject?’ said Mrs Garth,
secretly a little hurt that she had to be informed on it her-
self.
‘Not a word. I asked her about Fred once; I gave her a
bit of a warning. But she assured me she would never mar-
ry an idle self-indulgent man— nothing since. But it seems
Fred set on Mr. Farebrother to talk to her, because she had
forbidden him to speak himself, and Mr. Farebrother has
found out that she is fond of Fred, but says he must not be

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