319

XXII. TWO LIVES 336

XXIII. AN EVENING OUT 346

XXIV. THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH 365

XXV. THE WEST WIND BLOWS 384

XXVI. OLD COPY-BOOKS 392

XXVII. THE FIRST BLUESTOCKING 410

XXVIII. PHOEBE 433

XXIX. LOUIS MOORE 453

XXX. RUSHEDGE--A CONFESSIONAL 461

XXXI. UNCLE AND NIECE 475

XXXII. THE SCHOOLBOY AND THE WOOD-NYMPH 491

XXXIII. MARTIN'S TACTICS 502

XXXIV. CASE OF DOMESTIC PERSECUTION--REMARKABLE INSTANCE
OF PIOUS PERSEVERANCE IN THE DISCHARGE OF RELIGIOUS
DUTIES 513

XXXV. WHEREIN MATTERS MAKE SOME PROGRESS, BUT NOT MUCH 521

XXXVI. WRITTEN IN THE SCHOOLROOM 534

XXXVII. THE WINDING-UP 555

SHIRLEY.

CHAPTER I.

LEVITICAL.

Of late years an abundant shower of curates has fallen upon the north of
England: they lie very thick on the hills; every parish has one or more
of them; they are young enough to be very active, and ought to be doing
a great deal of good. But not of late years are we about to speak; we
are going back to the beginning of this century: late years--present
years are dusty, sunburnt, hot, arid; we will evade the noon, forget it
in siesta, pass the midday in slumber, and dream of dawn.

If you think, from this prelude, that anything like a romance is
preparing for you, reader, you never were more mistaken. Do you
anticipate sentiment, and poetry, and reverie? Do you expect passion,
and stimulus, and melodrama? Calm your expectations; reduce them to a
lowly standard. Something real, cool, and solid lies before you;
something unromantic as Monday morning, when all who have work wake with
the consciousness that they must rise and betake themselves thereto. It
is not positively affirmed that you shall not have a taste of the
exciting, perhaps towards t