n——shire),andhelplesspauperismrottenwithabuses,worm-eatenwithprejudices!”
“Youmightsaysoofalmosteverystatethereareabusesandprejudiceseverywhere,andIthoughtfewerinEnglandthaninothercountries.”
“CometoEnglandandsee.CometoBirminghamandManchestercometoSt.Giles’inLondon,andgetapracticalnotionofhowoursystemworks.Examinethefootprintsofouraugustaristocracyseehowtheywalkinblood,crushingheartsastheygo.JustputyourheadinatEnglishcottagedoorsgetaglimpseofFaminecrouchedtorpidonblackhearthstonesofDiseaselyingbareonbedswithoutcoverlets,ofInfamywantoningviciouslywithIgnorance,thoughindeedLuxuryisherfavouriteparamour,andprincelyhallsaredearertoherthanthatchedhovels——”
“IwasnotthinkingofthewretchednessandviceinEnglandIwasthinkingofthegoodside—ofwhatiselevatedinyourcharacterasanation.”
“Thereisnogoodside—noneatleastofwhichyoucanhaveanyknowledgeforyoucannotappreciatetheeffortsofindustry,theachievementsofenterprise,orthediscoveriesofscience:narrownessofeducationandobscurityofpositionquiteincapacitateyoufromunderstandingthesepointsandastohistoricalandpoeticalassociations,Iwillnotinsultyou,mademoiselle,bysupposingthatyoualludedtosuchhumbug.”
“ButIdidpartly.”
Hunsdenlaughed—hislaughofunmitigatedscorn.
“Idid,Mr.Hunsden.Areyouofthenumberofthosetowhomsuchassociationsgivenopleasure?”
“Mademoiselle,whatisanassociation?Ineversawone.Whatisitslength,breadth,weight,value—ay,VALUE?Whatpricewillitbringinthemarket?”
“Yourportrait,toanyonewholovedyou,would,forthesakeofassociation,bewithoutprice.”
ThatinscrutableHunsdenheardthisremarkandfeltitratheracutely,too,somewhereforhecoloured—athingnotunusualwithhim,whenhitunawaresonatenderpoint.Asortoftroublemomentarilydarkenedhiseye,andIbelievehefilledupthetransientpausesucceedinghisantagonist’shome-thrust,byawishthatsomeonedidlovehimashewouldliketobeloved—someonewhoselovehecouldunreservedlyreturn.
Theladypursuedhertemporaryadvantage.
“Ifyourworldisaworldwithoutassociations,Mr.Hunsden,InolongerwonderthatyouhateEnglandso.Idon’tclearlyknowwhatParadiseis,andwhatangelsareyettakingittobethemostgloriousregionIcanconceive,andangelsthemostelevatedexistences—ifoneofthem—ifAbdieltheFaithfulhimself”(shewasthinkingofMi