by George Eliot
EPILOGUE.
Our finest hope is finest memory; And those who love in age think youth is happy, Because it has a life to fill with love.
The very next May, Felix and Esther were married. Every one in thosedays was married at the parish church; but Mr. Lyon was not satisfiedwithout an additional private solemnity, "wherein there was no bondageto questionable forms, so that he might have a more enlarged utteranceof joy and supplication."
It was a very simple wedding; but no wedding, even the gayest, everraised so much interest and debate in Treby Magna. Even very greatpeople, like Sir Maximus and his family, went to the church to look atthis bride, who had renounced wealth, and chosen to be the wife of a manwho said he would always be poor.
Some few shook their heads; could not quite believe it; and thoughtthere was "more behind." But the majority of honest Trebians wereaffected somewhat in the same way as happy-looking Mr. Wace was, whoobserved to his wife, as they walked from under the churchyardchestnuts, "It's wonderful how things go through you--you don't knowhow. I feel somehow as if I believed more in everything that's good."
Mrs. Holt, that day, said she felt herself to be receiving "somereward," implying that justice certainly had much more in reserve.Little Job Tudge had an entirely new suit, of which he fingered everyseparate brass button in a way that threatened an arithmetical mania;and Mrs. Holt had out her best tea-trays and put down her carpet again,with the satisfaction of thinking that there would no more be boyscoming in all weathers with dirty shoes.
For Felix and Esther did not take up their abode in Treby Magna; andafter a while Mr. Lyon left the town too, and joined them where theydwelt. On his resignation the church in Malthouse Yard chose a successorto him whose doctrine was rather higher.
There were other departures from Treby. Mr. Jermyn's establishment wasbroken up, and he was understood to have gone to reside at a greatdistance: some said "abroad," that large home of ruined reputations. Mr.Johnson continued blonde and sufficiently prosperous till he got grayand rather more prosperous. Some persons who did not think highly ofhim, held that his prosperity was a fact to be kept in the background,as being dangerous to the morals of the young; judging that it was notaltogether creditable to the Divine Providence that anything but virtueshould be rewarded by a front and back drawing-room in Bedford Row.
As for Mr. Christian, he had no more profitable secrets at his disposal.But he got his thousand pounds from Harold Transome.
The Transome family were absent some time from Transome Court. The placewas kept up and shown to visitors, but not by Denner, who was away withher mistress. After a while the family came back, and Mrs. Transome diedthere. Sir Maximus was at her funeral, and throughout that neighborhoodthere was silence about the past.
Uncle Lingon continued to watch over the shooting on the Manor and thecovers until that event occurred which he had predicted as a part ofChurch reform sure to come. Little Treby had a new rector, but otherswere sorry besides the old pointers.
As to all that wide parish of Treby Magna, it has since prospered as therest of England has prospered. Doubtless there is more enlightenmentnow. Whether the farmers are all public-spirited, the shopkeepers noblyindependent, the Sproxton men entirely sober and judicious, theDissenters quite without narrowness or asperity in religion andpolitics, and the publicans all fit, like Gaius, to be the friends of anapostle--these things I have not heard; not having correspondence inthose parts. Whether any presumption may be drawn from the fact thatNorth Loamshire does not yet return a Radical candidate, I leave to theall-wise--I mean the newspapers.
As to the town in which Felix Holt now resides, I will keep that asecret, lest he should be troubled by any visitor having theinsufferable motive of curiosity.
I will only say that Esther has never repented. Felix, however, grumblesa little that she has made his life too easy, and that, if it were notfor much walking, he should be a sleek dog.
There is a young Felix, who has a great deal more science than hisfather, but not much more money.
THE END.
* * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Transcriber's notes:
P. 13. 'put pack' is 'put back'. P. 55. 'repectable' is 'respectable'. P. 55. 'those absurb' is 'those absurd'. P. 61. 'blashemous' is 'blasphemous'. P. 92. 'Sir Maxum's' is 'Sir Maximus's'. P. 122. '"Won t you please' is '"Won't you please'. P. 167. 'responsibilty' is 'responsibility'. P. 167. 'Jermym' is 'Jermyn'. P. 181. Closing single quotation mark should be double quotation mark in chapter quote, and the comma has been replaced by period. P. 317. 'apparant' is 'apparent'. P. 355. 'explicity' is 'explicitly'. Changed. P. 357. 'shillihgs' is 'shillings'. Changed. P. 386. 'tete-a-tete' is 'tete-a-tete', changed accents. P. 409. 'at this illusion' is 'at this allusion'. Changed. P. 413. 'carressing' is 'caressing'. Changed. P. 417. 'attaa' is 'atta'. Changed.
The underscore displays italics in the text: _her_
The equals sign displays bold: =1800=
----------------------------------------------------------------------