e of the two members for Parliament, all
for the House of Montfort; the other party, who returned also their
member, all against it. By one half the town, whatever came from
Montfort Court was sure to be regarded with a most malignant and
distorted vision. Meanwhile, though Mr. Allsop was popular with
the higher classes and with such of the extreme poor as his charity
relieved, his pastoral influence generally was a dead letter. His
curate, who preached for him--a good young man, but extremely dull-was
not one of those preachers who fill a church. Tradesmen wanted an excuse
to stay away or choose another place of worship; and they contrived to
hear some passages in the sermons--over which, while the curate mumbled,
they habitually slept--that they declared to be "Puseyite." The church
became deserted; and about the same time a very eloquent Dissenting
minister appeared at Humberston, and even professed Church folks went
to hear him. George Morley, alas! perceived that at Humberston, if the
Church there were to hold her own, a powerful and popular preacher
was essentially required. His mind was now made up. At Carr Vipont's
suggestion the bishop of the diocese, being then at his palace, had sent
to see him; and, while granting the force of his scruples, had yet said,
"Mine is the main responsibility. But if you ask me to ordain you, I
will do so without hesitation; for if the Church wants preachers,
it also wants deep scholars and virtuous pastors." Fresh from this
interview, George Morley came to announce to Lady Montfort that his
resolve was unshaken. She, I have said, paused long before she answered.
"George," she began at last, in a voice so touchingly sweet that its
very sound was balm to a wounded spirit, "I must not argue with you: I
bow before the grandeur of your motives, and I will not say that you
are not right. One thing I do feel, that if you thus sacrifice your
inclinations and interests from scruples so pure and holy, you will
never be to be pitied; you will never know regret. Poor or rich, single
or wedded, a soul that so seeks to reflect heaven will be serene and
blessed." Thus she continued to address him for some time, he all the
while inexpressibly soothed and comforted; then gradually she insinuated
hopes even of a worldly and temporal kind,--literature was left to
him,--the scholar's pen, if not the preacher's voice. In literature he
might make a career that would lead on to fortune. There were places