Shirley, knowing this harmless infatuation on the part of her recently-chosen prime minister, stipulated expressly that the curates were to have no voice in the disposal of the money, that their meddling fingers were not to be inserted into the pie. The rectors, of course, must be paramount, and they might be trusted. They had some experience, some sagacity, and Mr. Hall, at least, had sympathy and loving-kindness for his fellow-men; but as for the youth under them, they must be set aside, kept down, and taught that subordination and silence best became their years and capacity.
It was with some horror Miss Ainley heard this language. Caroline, however, interposing with a mild word or two in praise of Mr Sweeting, calmed her again. Sweeting was, indeed, her own favourite. She endeavoured to respect Messrs. Malone and Donne, but the slices of sponge-cake and glasses of cowslip or primrose wine she had at different times administered to Sweeting, when he came to see her in her little cottage, were ever offered with sentiments of truly motherly regard. The same innocuous collation she had once presented to Malone; but that personage evinced such open scorn of the offering, she had never ventured to renew it. To Donne she always served the treat, and was happy to see his approbation of it proved beyond a doubt by the fact of his usually eating two pieces of cake, and putting a third in his pocket.

Shirley, knowing of this harmless infatuation, stipulated that the curates were to have no voice in the disposal of the money; their meddling fingers were not to be inserted into the pie. The rectors, of course, might be trusted. They had experience and sagacity, and Mr. Hall, at least, had sympathy for his fellow-men; but the youth under them must be kept down in subordination and silence.
It was with some horror that Miss Ainley heard this language. Caroline, however, putting in a mild word or two in praise of Mr Sweeting, calmed her again. Sweeting was, indeed, Miss Ainley's own favourite. She had at times offered him sponge-cake and glasses of cowslip wine, when he came to see her in her little cottage, with truly motherly regard. The same offerings she had once presented to Malone; but he showed such open scorn that she had never repeated it. To Donne she always served the treat, and was happy to see his approbation proved by his eating two pieces of cake, and putting a third in his pocket.
