human
Who was speaking, William, when you came out?
gpt
A gentleman ye set a deal of store on, Miss Shirley--Mr. Donne.
human
You look knowing, William. How did you find out my regard for Mr. Donne?
gpt
Ay, Miss Shirley, there's a gleg light i' your een sometimes which betrays you. You look raight down scornful sometimes when Mr. Donne is by.
human
Do you like him yourself, William?
gpt
Me? I'm stalled o' t' curates, and so is t' wife. They've no manners. They talk to poor folk fair as if they thought they were beneath them. They're allus magnifying their office. It is a pity but their office could magnify them; but it does nought o' t' soart. I fair hate pride.
human
But you are proud in your own way yourself, interposed Caroline.
gpt
You are what you call house-proud: you like to have everything handsome about you. Sometimes you look as if you were almost too proud to take your wages. When you were out of work, you were too proud to get anything on credit. But for your children, I believe you would rather have starved than gone to the shops without money; and when I wanted to give you something, what a difficulty I had in making you take it!
human
It is partly true, Miss Caroline. Ony day I'd rather give than take, especially from sich as ye. Look at t' difference between us. Ye're a little, young, slender lass, and I'm a great strong man; I'm rather more nor twice your age. It is not _my_ part, then, I think, to tak fro' _ye_--to be under obligations (as they say) to _ye_. And that day ye came to our house, and called me to t' door, and offered me five shillings, which I doubt ye could ill spare--for ye've no fortin', I know--that day I war fair a rebel, a radical, an insurrectionist; and _ye_ made me so. I thought it shameful that, willing and able as I was to work, I suld be i' such a condition that a young cratur about the age o' my own eldest lass suld think it needful to come and offer me her bit o' brass.
gpt
I suppose you were angry with me, William?
human
I almost was, in a way. But I forgave ye varry soon. Ye meant well. Ay, _I am_ proud, and so are _ye_; but your pride and mine is t' raight mak--what we call i' Yorkshire clean pride--such as Mr. Malone and Mr. Donne knows nought about. Theirs is mucky pride. Now, I shall teach my lasses to be as proud as Miss Shirley there, and my lads to be as proud as myseln; but I dare ony o' 'em to be like t' curates. I'd lick little Michael if I seed him show any signs o' that feeling.
gpt
What is the difference, William?
human
Ye know t' difference weel enow, but ye want me to get a gate o' talking. Mr. Malone and Mr. Donne is almost too proud to do aught for theirseln; _we_ are almost too proud to let anybody do aught for us. T' curates can hardly bide to speak a civil word to them they think beneath them; _we_ can hardly bide to tak an uncivil word fro' them that thinks themseln aboon us.
gpt
Now, William, be humble enough to tell me truly how you are getting on in the world. Are you well off?
human
Miss Shirley, I am varry well off. Since I got into t' gardening line, wi' Mr. Yorke's help, and since Mr. Hall (another o' t' raight sort) helped my wife to set up a bit of a shop, I've nought to complain of. My family has plenty to eat and plenty to wear. My pride makes me find means to have an odd pound now and then against rainy days; for I think I'd die afore I'd come to t' parish; and me and mine is content. But t' neighbours is poor yet. I see a great deal of distress.
gpt
And, consequently, there is still discontent, I suppose?
human
But what can be done? What more can I do, for instance?
gpt
Do? Ye can do not mich, poor young lass! Ye've gi'en your brass; ye've done well. If ye could transport your tenant, Mr. Moore, to Botany Bay, ye'd happen do better. Folks hate him.
human
William, for shame! exclaimed Caroline warmly.
gpt
If folks _do_ hate him, it is to their disgrace, not his. Mr. Moore himself hates nobody. He only wants to do his duty, and maintain his rights. You are wrong to talk so.
human
I talk as I think. He has a cold, unfeeling heart, yond' Moore.
gpt
But, interposed Shirley,
human
They'd have less. I know that, and they know that; and there is many an honest lad driven desperate by the certainty that whichever way he turns he cannot better himself; and there is dishonest men plenty to guide them to the devil, scoundrels that reckons to be the 'people's friends,' and that knows nought about the people, and is as insincere as Lucifer. I've lived aboon forty year in the world, and I believe that 'the people' will never have any true friends but theirseln and them two or three good folk i' different stations that is friends to all the world. Human natur', taking it i' th' lump, is nought but selfishness. It is but excessive few, it is but just an exception here and there, now and then, sich as ye two young uns and me, that, being in a different sphere, can understand t' one t' other, and be friends wi'out slavishness o' one hand or pride o' t' other. Them that reckons to be friends to a lower class than their own fro' political motives is never to be trusted; they always try to make their inferiors tools. For my own part, I will neither be patronized nor misled for no man's pleasure. I've had overtures made to me lately that I saw were treacherous, and I flung 'em back i' the faces o' them that offered 'em.
gpt
You won't tell us what overtures?
human
I will not. It would do no good. It would mak no difference. Them they concerned can look after theirseln.
gpt
Ay, we'se look after werseln,
human
I'll warrant _ye_, Joe,
gpt
And I'll warrant my maister, was the answer.--
human
Young ladies, continued Joe, assuming a lordly air,
gpt
I wonder what for?