d once have believed
it. And even without much belief, it is so against our manners, that it
makes me miserable. Only think of loving Lorna, only think of kissing
her; and then remembering that her father had destroyed the life of
mine!'

'Only think,' said Master Stickles, imitating my very voice, 'of Lorna
loving you, John, of Lorna kissing you, John; and all the while saying
to herself, "this man's father murdered mine." Now look at it in Lorna's
way as well as in your own way. How one-sided all men are!'

'I may look at it in fifty ways, and yet no good will come of it.
Jeremy, I confess to you, that I tried to make the best of it; partly to
baffle the Counsellor, and partly because my darling needed my help, and
bore it so, and behaved to me so nobly. But to you in secret, I am not
ashamed to say that a woman may look over this easier than a man may.'

'Because her nature is larger, my son, when she truly loves; although
her mind be smaller. Now, if I can ease you from this secret burden,
will you bear, with strength and courage, the other which I plant on
you?'

'I will do my best,' said I.

'No man can do more,' said he and so began his story.

CHAPTER LIII

JEREMY FINDS OUT SOMETHING

'You know, my son,' said Jeremy Stickles, with a good pull at his pipe,
because he was going to talk so much, and putting his legs well along
the settle; 'it has been my duty, for a wearier time than I care to
think of (and which would have been unbearable, except for your great
kindness), to search this neighbourhood narrowly, and learn everything
about everybody. Now the neighbourhood itself is queer; and people
have different ways of thinking from what we are used to in London. For
instance now, among your folk, when any piece of news is told, or any
man's conduct spoken of, the very first question that arises in your
mind is this--"Was this action kind and good?" Long after that, you say
to yourselves, "does the law enjoin or forbid this thing?" Now here
is your fundamental error: for among all truly civilised people the
foremost of all questions is, "how stands the law herein?" And if the
law approve, no need for any further questioning. That this is so, you
may take my word: for I know the law pretty thoroughly.

'Very well; I need not say any more about that, for I have shown that
you are all quite wrong. I only speak of this savage tendency, because
it explains so many things which have puzzled me among you,