Chapter 9.12 - Shirley

Take Mr. York's family in the aggregate. There is as much mental power in those six young heads, as much originality, as much activity and vigour of brain, as, divided amongst half a dozen commonplace broods, would give to each rather more than an average amount of sense and capacity. Mr. York knows this, and is proud of his race. Yorkshire has had such families here and there amongst her hills and wolds, peculiar, racy, vigorous, of good blood and strong brain, turbulent somewhat in the pride of their strength, and intractable in the force of their native powers. Wanting polish, wanting consideration, wanting docility, but sound, spirited, and true bred as the eagle on the cliff, or the steed in the steppe. A low tap is heard at the parlour door. The boys have been making such a noise over their game, and little Jessie besides has been singing so sweet a Scotch song to her father, who delights in Scotch and Italian songs, and has taught his musical little daughter some of the best, that the ring at the outer door was not observed. "'Come in,' says Mrs. York, in that conscientiously constrained and solemnised voice of hers, which ever modulates itself to a funereal dreariness of tone, though the subject it is exercised upon, be but to give orders for the making of a pudding in the kitchen, to bid the boys hang up their caps in the hall, or to call the girls to their sewing. "'Come in,' and in came Robert Moore. Moore's habitual gravity, as well as his abstemiousness, for the case of spirit decanters is never ordered up when he pays an evening visit, has so far recommended him to Mrs. York, that she has not yet made him the subject of private animadversions with her husband. She has not yet found out that he is hampered by a secret intrigue which prevents him from marrying, or that he is a wolf in sheep's clothing—discoveries which she made at an early date after marriage, concerning most of her husband's bachelor friends, and excluded them from her board accordingly. Which part of her conduct, indeed, might be said to have its just and sensible, as well as its harsh side? "'Well, is it you?' she says to Mr. Moore, as he comes up to her and gives his hand.