Chapter 9

"Walk boldly and wisely in that light thou hast,
There is a hand above will help thee on.

"I deemed thy garments, O my hope, were gray,
So far I viewed thee. Now the space between
Is passed at length; and garmented in green
Even as in days of yore thou stand'st to-day."

"Bless love and hope. Full many a withered year
Whirled past us, eddying to its chill doomsday;
And clasped together where the brown leaves lay,
We long have knelt and wept full many a tear,
Yet lo! one hour at last, the spring's compeer,
Flutes softly to us from some green by-way,
Those years, those tears are dead; but only they
Bless love and hope, true souls, for we are here."

The strength that had come to Elizabeth with a complete resignation
to the will of God was sorely needed and tested during the following
week. It had been arranged between herself and Page and Thorley that
they should have the whole income of the Hallam estate, deducting only
from it the regular cost of collection. Whaley Brothers had hitherto
had the collection, and had been accustomed to deposit all proceeds
in the banking-house of their brother-in-law, Josiah Broadbent.
Elizabeth had determined to be her own collector. The fees for the duty
would be of the greatest service to her in her impoverished condition;
and she did not wish the Broadbents and Whaleys to know what
disposition was made of the revenue of Hallam.

But the Whaleys were much offended at the change. They had so long
managed the business of Hallam, that they said the supposition was
unavoidable, that Elizabeth suspected them of wronging her, as soon
as there was no man to overlook matters. They declared that they had
done their duty as faithfully as if she had been able to check them
at every turn, and even said they would prefer to do that duty gratis,
rather than relinquish a charge with which the Whaleys had been
identified for three generations.

But Elizabeth had reasons for her conduct which she could not explain;
and the transfer was finally made in a spirit of anger at a supposed
wrong. It grieved her very much, for she was unused to disputes, and
she could not look at the affair in a merely business light. With some
of the older tenants her interviews were scarcely more pleasant. They
had been accustomed to meeting one of the Whaleys at "The Rose and
Crown Inn," and having a good dinner and a few pints of strong ale
over their own accounts. There was no prospect of "makkin' a day o'
it" with Miss Hallam; and they had, besides, a dim idea that they
rather lowered their dignity in doing business with a woman.

However, Elizabeth succeeded in thoroughly winning Peter Crag, the
tenant of the home