“I’ll tell thee. Thou’s fretting because Antony wants to go into business, and to get hold o’ as much gold and honor as iver he can put his hands on. Now suppose he wanted to spend a’ t’ money he could get hold of, and to drag thy old name through t’ mire o’ jockey fields and gambling houses, and t’ filth that lies at t’ month o’ hell. Wouldn’t that be worse?”
“Ay, it would.”
“And they who hanker after an earldom’ll be varry like to pick up some good things on t’ road to it. When ta can’t mak’ t’ wind suit thee, turn round and sail wi’ t’ wind.”
“Thou sees, Whaley, I hev saved a good bit o’ money, and I gave Antony t’ best education Oxford could hand over for it; and I reckoned on him getting into Parliament, and makkin’ a bit o’ a stir there, and building up t’ old name wi’ a deal o’ honor.”
“Varry good; but strike t’ nail that’ll go! What is t’ use o’ hitting them that will only bend and break i’ thy hand, and get mebbe t’ weight o’ t’ blow on thy own finger-ends. Go thee home and talk reasonably to thy son. He’s gotten a will o’ his own—that’s a way wi’ t’ Hallams—and he’ll tak’ it. Mak’ up thy mind to that.”
“But children ought to obey their fathers.”
“Ought hesn’t been t’ fashion since iver I remember; and t’ young people o’ these days hev crossed out Fifth Commandment—happen that’s t’ reason there is so few men blessed wi’ the green old age that I asked for wi’ the keeping o’ it.”
The squire pondered this advice all day, keeping apart from his family, and really suffering very keenly. But toward evening he sent for his son. As Antony entered his room he looked at him with a more conscious and critical regard than he had ever done before. He was forced to admit that he was different from his ancestors, though inheriting their physical peculiarities. They were mostly splendid animals, with faces radiant with courage and high spirits and high health. Antony’s face was clearer and more refined, more complex, more suggestive. His form, equally tall, was slighter, not hampered with superfluous flesh, not so aggressively erect. One felt that the older Hallams would have walked straight up to the object of their ambition and demanded it, or, if necessary, fought for it. One was equally sure that Antony had the ability to stoop, to bow, to slide past obstacles, to attain his object by the pleasantest road possible.
He met his father with marked respect and a conciliating manner; standing, with one hand leaning on the central table, until told to sit down.
“Thou can hev what ta wants on thy own terms, son Antony.”