Part 30 (1/2)
We all thought her quite beautiful.”
”She is a child of the house,” said Mrs Trafford, ”or rather was, for I am sorry to say she has long quitted us.”
”Is she a nun?” asked Lord Milford, ”for her vestments had a conventual air.”
”She has just left your convent at Mowbray,” said Mr Trafford, addressing his answer to Lady Maud, ”and rather against her will. She clings to the dress she was accustomed to there.”
”And now she resides with you?”
”No; I should be very happy if she did. I might almost say she was brought up under this roof. She lives now with her father.”
”And who is so fortunate as to be her father?” enquired Mr Mountchesney.
”Her father is the inspector of my works; the person who accompanied us over them this morning.”
”What! that handsome man I so much admired,” said Lady Maud, ”so very aristocratic-looking. Papa,” she said, addressing herself to Lord de Mowbray, ”the inspector of Mr Trafford's works we are speaking of, that aristocratic-looking person that I observed to you, he is the father of the beautiful girl.”
”He seemed a very intelligent person,” said Lord de Mowbray with many smiles.
”Yes,” said Mr Trafford; ”he has great talents and great integrity. I would trust him with anything and to any amount. All I wish,” he added, with a smile and in a lower tone to Lady de Mowbray, ”all I wish is, that he was not quite so fond of politics.”
”Is he very violent?” enquired her ladys.h.i.+p in a sugary tone.
”Too violent,” said Mr Trafford, ”and wild in his ideas.”
”And yet I suppose,” said Lord Milford, ”he must be very well off?”
”Why I must say for him it is not selfishness that makes him a malcontent,” said Mr Trafford; ”he bemoans the condition of the people.”
”If we are to judge of the condition of the people by what we see here,”
said Lord de Mowbray, ”there is little to lament in it. But I fear these are instances not so common as we could wish. You must have been at a great outlay, Mr Trafford?”
”Why,” said Mr Trafford, ”for my part. I have always considered that there was nothing so expensive as a vicious population. I hope I had other objects in view in what I have done than a pecuniary compensation.
They say we all have our hobbies; and it was ever mine to improve the condition of my workpeople, to see what good tenements and good schools and just wages paid in a fair manner, and the encouragement of civilizing pursuits, would do to elevate their character. I should find an ample reward in the moral tone and material happiness of this community; but really viewing it in a pecuniary point of view, the investment of capital has been one of the most profitable I ever made; and I would not, I a.s.sure you, for double its amount, exchange my workpeople for the promiscuous a.s.semblage engaged in other factories.”
”The influence of the atmosphere on the condition of the labourer is a subject which deserves investigation,” said Lady Joan to Mr Jermyn, who stared and bowed.
”And you do not feel alarmed at having a person of such violent opinions as your inspector at the head of your establishment,” said Lady Firebrace to Mr Trafford, who smiled a negative.
”What is the name of the intelligent individual who accompanied us?”
enquired Lord de Mowbray.
”His name is Gerard,” said Mr Trafford.
”I believe a common name in these parts,” said Lord de Mowbray looking a little confused.
”Not very,” said Mr Trafford; ”'tis an old name and the stock has spread; but all Gerards claim a common lineage I believe, and my inspector has gentle blood, they say, in his veins.”
”He looks as if he had,” said Lady Maud.