human
I think you had better strike a bargain. Exchange me for Mrs. Pryor.
gpt
I was not sure whether you would come this way, Martin, but I thought I would run the chance. There is no such thing as getting a quiet word spoken in the church or churchyard.
human
Will you agree?--make over Mrs. Pryor to my mother, and put me in her skirts?
gpt
As if I could understand you! What puts Mrs. Pryor into your head?
human
You call her 'mamma,' don't you?
gpt
She _is_ my mamma.
human
Not possible--or so inefficient, so careless a mamma; I should make a five times better one. You _may_ laugh. I have no objection to see you laugh. Your teeth--I hate ugly teeth; but yours are as pretty as a pearl necklace, and a necklace of which the pearls are very fair, even, and well matched too.
gpt
Martin, what now? I thought the Yorkes never paid compliments?
human
They have not done till this generation; but I feel as if it were my vocation to turn out a new variety of the Yorke species. I am rather tired of my own ancestors. We have traditions going back for four ages--tales of Hiram, which was the son of Hiram, which was the son of Samuel, which was the son of John, which was the son of Zerubbabel Yorke. All, from Zerubbabel down to the last Hiram, were such as you see my father. Before that there was a Godfrey. We have his picture; it hangs in Moore's bedroom; it is like me. Of his character we know nothing; but I am sure it was different to his descendants. He has long, curling dark hair; he is carefully and cavalierly dressed. Having said that he is like me, I need not add that he is handsome.
gpt
You are not handsome, Martin.
human
No; but wait awhile--just let me take my time. I mean to begin from this day to cultivate, to polish, and we shall see.
gpt
You are a very strange, a very unaccountable boy, Martin. But don't imagine you ever will be handsome; you cannot.
human
I mean to try. But we were talking about Mrs. Pryor. She must be the most unnatural mamma in existence, coolly to let her daughter come out in this weather. Mine was in such a rage because I would go to church; she was fit to fling the kitchen brush after me.
gpt
Mamma was very much concerned about me; but I am afraid I was obstinate. I _would_ go.
human
To see me?
gpt
Exactly; I thought of nothing else. I greatly feared the snow would hinder you from coming. You don't know how pleased I was to see you all by yourself in the pew.
human
I can't stay two minutes; our dinner will be ready.
gpt
And so will ours; and we have always a hot dinner on Sundays. Roast goose to-day, with apple-pie and rice-pudding. I always contrive to know the bill of fare. Well, I like these things uncommonly; but I'll make the sacrifice, if you will.
human
We have a cold dinner. My uncle will allow no unnecessary cooking on the Sabbath. But I must return; the house would be in commotion if I failed to appear.
gpt
So will Briarmains, bless you! I think I hear my father sending out the overlooker and five of the dyers, to look in six directions for the body of his prodigal son in the snow; and my mother repenting her of her many misdeeds towards me, now I am gone.
human
Martin, how is Mr. Moore?
gpt
Come, tell me quickly.
human
Hang him! he is no worse; but as ill-used as ever--mewed up, kept in solitary confinement. They mean to make either an idiot or a maniac of him, and take out a commission of lunacy. Horsfall starves him; you saw how thin he was.
gpt
You were very good the other day, Martin.
human
What day? I am always good--a model.
gpt
When will you be so good again?
human
I see what you are after; but you'll not wheedle me--I am no cat's-paw.
gpt
But it must be done. It is quite a right thing, and a necessary thing.
human
How you encroach! Remember, I managed the matter of my own free will before.
gpt
And you will again.
human
I won't. The business gave me far too much trouble. I like my ease.
gpt
Mr. Moore wishes to see me, Martin, and I wish to see him.
human
I dare say
gpt
It is too bad of your mother to exclude his friends.
human
Tell her so.
gpt
His own relations.
human
Come and blow her up.
gpt
You know that would advance nothing. Well, I shall stick to my point. See him I will. If you won't help me, I'll manage without help.
human
Do; there is nothing like self-reliance, self-dependence.
gpt
I have no time to reason with you now; but I consider you provoking. Good-morning.
human
She is not vapid; she is not shallow, said Martin.
gpt
I shall like to watch, and mark how she will work her way without help. If the storm were not of snow, but of fire--such as came refreshingly down on the cities of the plain--she would go through it to procure five minutes' speech of that Moore. Now, I consider I have had a pleasant morning. The disappointments got time on; the fears and fits of anger only made that short discourse pleasanter, when it came at last. She expected to coax me at once. She'll not manage that in one effort. She shall come again, again, and yet again. It would please me to put her in a passion--to make her cry. I want to discover how far she will go--what she will do and dare--to get her will. It seems strange and new to find one human being thinking so much about another as she thinks about Moore. But it is time to go home; my appetite tells me the hour. Won't I walk into that goose? and we'll try whether Matthew or I shall get the largest cut of the apple-pie to-day.