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In the evening, when Caleb, rather tired with his day's work, was

seated in silence with his pocket-book open on his knee, while Mrs

Garth and Mary were at their sewing, and Letty in a corner was

whispering a dialogue with her doll, Mr Farebrother cahts and shadoith the

tufted grass and the apple-tree boughs We know that he was fond of

his parishioners the Garths, and had thought Mary worth y

the Middlemarch discrimination of ranks, and always told his mother

that Mrs Garth was more of a lady than any s at the Vincys', where the h

less of a lady, presided over a well-lit drawing-room and whist In

those days human intercourse was not determined solely by respect But

the Vicar did heartily respect the Garths, and a visit from him was no

surprise to that family Nevertheless he accounted for it even while

he was shaking hands, by saying, "I co to say to you and Garth on behalf of Fred Vincy The

fact is, poor fellow," he continued, as he seated hilance at the three ere listening to him,

"he has taken me into his confidence"