England -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction; Working class -- Fiction
Little Mary Carbonel was not the worse for all the agitations, from
which, indeed, she had been so carefully shielded, but her mother was
sadly broken down by all she had undergone, and likewise by
mortification at the whole conduct of the Uphill people. After all the
years that she and her husband and sisters had striven for them, it was
very hard to find that so very few would exert themselves for their
protection, and that so many would even turn against them. It was hard
to make allowance for the bewilderment of slow minds, for sheer
cowardice, and for the instinct of going along with one's own class of
people. She and Sophy prayed that they might forgive the people, but it
was impossible just then not to feel that there was a good deal to
forgive, and Captain Caiger was always telling them that all their
trouble came in trying to help the good-for-nothing people.
They had moved into the George Hotel at Elchester. It was a good large
inn, such as used to exist in coaching days, where travellers stopped
for meals, and sometimes spent a night, and the rooms were so
comfortable that they were glad to stay there, while Captain Carbonel
could go backwards and forwards to make arrangements about the repair of
Greenhow. Of course, when he came to look the place over with a builder
from Elchester it turned out that a great deal more was needed than
simply re-building what had been burnt; and he was in difficulties about
the cost, when an offer came which he was glad to accept.
The Seven Ionian Islands had been put under the protection of England
since they had been set free from the Turkish dominion, and the
Governor, Sir Thomas Maitland, (King Tom as he was often called), was
very active in building, making roads, and improving them in every way
possible. He wanted an English officer to superintend his doings in the
little isle of Santa Maura, and being acquainted with Major Sandford,
Dora's husband, the proposal was made that Captain Carbonel should
undertake the work for two or three years, bringing out, of course, his
family with a handsome salary. It was a most opportune offer, giving
him the means of renewing Greenhow, of a visit to the sister, and of
restoring his wife's health, which had been much tried by her child's
death, little Mary's delicate state, and the alarm of the riots. So it
was gladly accepted, and the departure was to take place as soon as the
trials were over, for a special commission had been appointed to try the
rioters; and poor Sophy was much distressed at having so evidently
recognised Dan Hewlett when she found that "rioting and arson," that is,
burning, made a capital offence, so that it was a matter of life and
death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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