“That may be,” said Mr. Woodburn, “but it does not alter my position. Look, then, at Mr. Dell. Now, he is a man who is not in their Society, but he goes to their meeting, and associates with them, from his sense of their more thoroughly moral character than that of most other people. There is a man who is always planning some good for the people. He has himself built and endowed a free school for the poor; and has worked actively in creating public gardens and public walks in all directions.”
“And that intelligent and liberal man,” said Thorsby, “can go and sit two mortal hours, on a Sunday morning, in their meetings, where not a word is uttered! Wonderful!”
“Well,” said Mr. Woodburn, “that is rather wonderful; but then he tells me that he takes the Bible in his pocket, and reads a chapter or two, and meditates on it.”
“He might do that at home,” said Thorsby.
“He might,” said Mr. Woodburn, “and we might and may leave people to their peculiar notions of what suits them best,” quietly proceeding with his pea-shelling. “And look, again, at that brave old man, William Fairfax, the eminent grocer and hop-dealer. Did you ever see a picture of the great law reformer, Jeremy Bentham? or of Benjamin Franklin?”
“Of Franklin, of course,” said Thorsby.
“Well,” continued Mr. Woodburn, “there is a great general resemblance in the persons of these three great men, for I place Mr. Fairfax in the scale of great men. They were, and he is, of middle height and strong build. They had, and Mr. Fairfax has, a style of countenance with strong features, somewhat prominent nose, and their hair hanging in abundance on their shoulders. Mr. Fairfax dresses, as you know, in plain drab, with waistcoat long and with flaps; and he may often be seen going about the town without his hat, and looking very abstracted, and with one hand thrust into his waistcoat about half-way down.
“Now there is a man who, if he had had the same education, or the same ambition, as Franklin or Bentham, would have achieved as great a reputation, for he has as great and original abilities. It is lucky for Castleborough, however, that his lot is cast there. He has always stood forth for the good and independence of the place without any regard to his own interest.”
“But his interests have flourished finely,” said Thorsby.
“True,” added Mr. Woodburn, “but not the less true his daring and noble independence. Awhile ago, Lord Middleton sent his servant to say, that if Mr. Fairfax did not vote for the Tory candidate for one of the borough seats in Parliament, he would withdraw his custom. ‘Tell thy master, young man,’ said Mr. Fairfax, ‘that I am not an Esau to sell my birthright for a mess of pottage. He is free to take his custom where he pleases.’ His lordship withdrew his custom accordingly, but he soon found that he could not get served so well anywhere else, and so went back to Mr. Fairfax’s shop. But the most remarkable thing is, that Mr. Fairfax has never paid a penny of the property tax.”