Mary looked so much moved, that he said after a moment, "Let us walk a
little;" and when they were walking he added, "To speak quite plainly,
Fred will not take any course which would lessen the chance that you
would consent to be his wife; but with that prospect, he will try his
best at anything you approve."
"I cannot possibly say that I will ever be his wife, Mr. Farebrother:
but I certainly never will be his wife if he becomes a clergyman. What
you say is most generous and kind; I don't mean for a moment to correct
your judgment. It is only that I have my girlish, mocking way of
looking at things," said Mary, with a returning sparkle of playfulness
in her answer which only made its modesty more charming.
"He wishes me to report exactly what you think," said Mr. Farebrother.
"I could not love a man who is ridiculous," said Mary, not choosing to
go deeper. "Fred has sense and knowledge enough to make him
respectable, if he likes, in some good worldly business, but I can
never imagine him preaching and exhorting, and pronouncing blessings,
and praying by the sick, without feeling as if I were looking at a
caricature. His being a clergyman would be only for gentility's sake,
and I think there is nothing more contemptible than such imbecile
gentility. I used to think that of Mr. Crowse, with his empty face and
neat umbrella, and mincing little speeches. What right have such men
to represent Christianity--as if it were an institution for getting up
idiots genteelly--as if--" Mary checked herself. She had been carried
along as if she had been speaking to Fred instead of Mr. Farebrother.
"Young women are severe: they don't feel the stress of action as men
do, though perhaps I ought to make you an exception there. But you
don't put Fred Vincy on so low a level as that?"
"No, indeed, he has plenty of sense, but I think he would not show it
as a clergyman. He would be a piece of professional affectation."
"Then the answer is quite decided. As a clergyman he could have no
hope?"
Mary shook her head.
"But if he braved all the difficulties of getting his bread in some
other way--will you give him the support of hope? May he count on
winning you?"
"I think Fred ought not to need telling again what I have already said
to him," Mary answered, with a slight resentment in her manner. "I
mean that he ought not to put such questions until he has done
something worthy, instead of saying that he could do it."