Shirley

she – as a woman – had no right to meddle: »partly, at least. I have rather a leaning to the agricultural interest, too; as good reason is, seeing that I don't desire England to be under the feet of France, and that if a share of my income comes from Hollow's mill, a larger share comes from the landed estate around it. It would not do to take any measures injurious to the farmers, Joe, I think?«
    »The dews at this hour is unwholesome for females,« observed Joe.
    »If you make that remark out of interest in me, I have merely to assure you that I am impervious to cold. I should not mind taking my turn to watch the mill one of these summer nights, armed with your musket, Joe.«
    Joe Scott's chin was always rather prominent: he poked it out, at this speech, some inches further than usual.
    »But – to go back to my sheep,« she proceeded – »clothier and mill-owner as I am, besides farmer, I cannot get out of my head a certain idea that we manufacturers and persons of business are sometimes a little – a
very little
selfish and short-sighted in our views, and rather
too
regardless of human suffering, rather heartless in our pursuit of gain: don't you agree with me, Joe?«
    »I cannot argue, where I cannot be comprehended,« was again the answer.
    »Man of mystery! Your master will argue with me sometimes, Joe: he is not so stiff as you are.«
    »May be not: we've all our own ways.«
    »Joe, do you seriously think all the wisdom in the world is lodged in male skulls?«
    »I think that women are a kittle and a froward generation; and I've a great respect for the doctrines delivered in the second chapter of St Paul's first Epistle to Timothy.«
    »What doctrines, Joe?«
    »Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection. I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man; but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.«
    »What has that to do with the business?« interjected Shirley: »that smacks of rights of primogeniture. I'll bring it up to Mr. Yorke the first time he inveighs against those rights.«
    »And,« continued Joe Scott, »Adam was not deceived; but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression.«
    »More shame to Adam to sin with his eyes open!« cried Miss Keeldar. »To confess the honest truth, Joe, I never was easy in my mind concerning that chapter: it puzzles me.«
    »It is very plain, Miss: he that runs may read.«
    »He may read it in his own fashion,« remarked Caroline, now joining in the dialogue for the first time. »You allow the right of private judgment, I suppose, Joe?«
    »My certy, that I do! I allow and claim it for every line of the holy Book.«
    »Women may exercise it as well as men?«
    »Nay: women is to take their husbands' opinion, both in politics and religion: it's wholesomest for them.«
    »Oh! oh!« exclaimed both Shirley and Caroline.
    »To be sure; no doubt on't,« persisted the stubborn overlooker.
    »Consider yourself groaned down, and cried shame over, for such a stupid observation,« said Miss Keeldar. »You might as well say, men are to take the opinions of their priests without examination. Of what value would a religion so adopted be? It would be mere blind, besotted superstition.«
    »And what is
your
reading, Miss Helstone, o' these words o' St Paul's?«
    »Hem! I – I account for them in this way: he wrote that chapter for a particular congregation of Christians, under peculiar circumstances; and besides, I dare say, if I could read the original Greek, I should find that many of the words have been wrongly translated, perhaps misapprehended altogether. It would be possible, I doubt not, with a little ingenuity, to give the passage quite a contrary turn; to make it say, ›Let the woman speak out whenever she sees fit to make an objection;‹ – ›it is permitted to a woman to teach and to exercise authority as much as may be. Man, meantime, cannot do better than hold his peace,‹ and so on.«
    »That will n't wash, Miss.«
    »I dare say it will. My notions are dyed in faster colours than yours, Joe. Mr. Scott, you are a thoroughly dogmatical person, and always were: I like William better than you.«
    »Joe is well enough in his own house,« said Shirley: »I have seen him as quiet as a lamb at home. There is not a better nor a kinder husband in Briarfield. He does not dogmatize to his wife.«
    »My wife is a hard-working, plain woman: time and trouble has ta'en all the conceit out of her; but that is not the case