. If you choose to get up a requisition on the subject, I
promise to head the list of signatures with my name. But you were speaking of
Moore?«
    »Ah! yes. I find it a little difficult to understand Mr. Moore - to know
what to think of him: whether to like him or not. He seems a tenant of whom any
proprietor might be proud - and proud of him I am, in that sense - but as a
neighbour, what is he? Again and again I have entreated Mrs. Pryor to say what
she thinks of him, but she still evades returning a direct answer. I hope you
will be less oracular, Mr. Helstone, and pronounce at once: do you like him?«
    »Not at all, just now: his name is entirely blotted from my good books.«
    »What is the matter? What has he done?«
    »My uncle and he disagree on politics,« interposed the low voice of
Caroline. She had better not have spoken just then: having scarcely joined in
the conversation before, it was not apropos to do it now: she felt this, with
nervous acuteness, as soon as she had spoken, and coloured to the eyes.
    »What are Moore's politics?« inquired Shirley.
    »Those of a tradesman,« returned the Rector; »narrow, selfish, and
unpatriotic. The man is eternally writing and speaking against the continuance
of the war: I have no patience with him.«
    »The war hurts his trade. I remember he remarked that only yesterday. But
what other objection have you to him?«
    »That is enough.«
    »He looks the gentleman, in my sense of the term,« pursued Shirley, »and it
pleases me to think he is such.«
    Caroline rent the Tyrian petals of the one brilliant flower in her bouquet,
and answered in distinct tones - »Decidedly he is.« Shirley, hearing this
courageous affirmation, flashed an arch, searching glance at the speaker from
her deep, expressive eyes.
    »You are his friend, at any rate,« she said; »you defend him in his
absence.«
    »I am both his friend and his relative,« was the prompt reply. »Robert Moore
is my cousin.«
    »Oh, then, you can tell me all about him. Just give me a sketch of his
character.«
    Insuperable embarrassment seized Caroline when this demand was made: she
could not, and did not attempt to comply with it. Her silence was immediately
