Shirley

Malone, who was sent out to guard Robert, walks to Hollow’s Mill where Robert and his household are waiting for the arrival of new machinery. Malone talks with Robert, an eligible bachelor, about all the women he is rumored to be courting, as well as about business. Robert is clearly anxious about his delivery, which is running late. The men have supper and the narrator describes Robert as a beautiful young man who was raised abroad, but who is too obsessed with trade and its progress to care much for anything else. The narrator also describes the current state of English textile mills and how the Napoleonic Wars resulted in the mills, especially those in Yorkshire, being cut off from the global market and losing money. Mill owners like Robert have introduced new machinery that keeps improving with the Industrial Revolution. As he is not a native of Yorkshire he does not care as much when he has to lay off workers: he does not know much of their suffering and dependence on his employment and does not feel a connection to them.

The wagons Robert had been waiting for finally arrive but, when he walks toward them a group of unknown men tell him that the new machines he spent the last of his money on have been smashed and the men he sent to get the machines have been tied up at Stilbro’ Moor. Robert has the bell at the mill rung and neighbors, including Helstone, arrive and split up to watch the mill and go to Stilbro’ Moor to help release the men there.

Robert and Helstone, both stubborn men but with greatly different political views, argue about the war and religion on their way to Stilboro’ Moor. On the road, they meet a Mr. Yorke. He says he has already rescued the men: Joe Scott, Robert’s overlooker (mill supervisor or manager) and the man charged with bringing the wagons to Hollow’s Mill. Yorke invites the two men to his home nearby. Yorke and Robert get along, but Yorke and Helstone don’t.

The narrator begins to describe Mr. Hiram Yorke as a man who is sometimes kind but more often lacks empathy. However, Yorke is a benevolent employer who cares about his workers, but is able to sniff out any rebellion and quash it. Yorke had known Robert’s father and knows Robert has the capacity to be a good businessman. There is rivalry between Yorke and Helstone as they courted the same woman, Mary Cave, who married Helstone, declined in health, and died shortly after. Everyone in the neighborhood believed that Mary had died of a broken heart and has possibly been “ill-used” (abused) by her husband. Yorke especially believes he would have been a better husband. The men argue about the state of the local mills and their workers, with Yorke more on the side of the workers and Helstone on the side of the employers. Robert disagrees with the arguments of both of the men, and Yorke sends them both away.

Robert and Joe Scott the overlooker both sleep in the mill to get to work early the next day. They argue about the intellect of working men and people of different classes. Robert goes to his house nearby for breakfast and is met by his sister, Hortense. She refuses to adopt English ways and retains her Belgian manners, frowning upon their brother, Louis, who was educated at English schools and now tutors English students. Robert worries about Hortense being happy in England, especially as they were considered rich in their hometown of Antwerp but are now much poorer. Robert suggests Hortense should ask their cousin, Caroline Helstone, about the trends of English fashion when she comes later for a French lesson with Hortense. Caroline arrives and expresses worries about Robert’s unpopularity with the workers. Robert asks Caroline what she plans to do with her French education, and she says she supposes she will live with her uncle, Reverend Helstone, and be a burden on him forever, even though she wants an occupation. She suggests Robert can somehow hire her, and they argue about poverty. He invites Caroline to stay for dinner later, and she happily agrees.

Caroline is distracted during her French lessons. The narrator describes her as beautiful, tasteful, and likable, yet quiet and sometimes somber. Caroline had not known her mother. All she knows is that her mother abandoned her while she was young and her father died when she was quite young, so she lives under the guardianship of her father’s brother, Reverend Helstone. Although her relations did not care about her education, Caroline does, and so has gone to her distant cousin, Hortense, for lessons. Caroline finds her cousins agreeable, especially Robert, and wishes she could be in his company more often. Although it seems Robert will not make it home for dinner due to the weather, Caroline is exuberant when he does and it is implied that they have feelings for one another. After dinner, Caroline asks Robert to read Coriolanus to them, and she compares him to the characters that have no sympathy for the working classes. Robert walks Caroline home and she is happy with the attention he has shown her that day. Robert is convinced his interest in her will be gone by tomorrow and he believes it must as he knows their marriage would be financially imprudent.

The narrator discusses Caroline’s hope for a marriage to Robert, yet also notes how at 18 she has not yet experienced heartbreak. At breakfast the next morning, Caroline and Helstone discuss the topic of marriage, to which Helstone is generally opposed. Helstone’s temper reminds Caroline of her father, a cruel man with an alcohol addiction, and she asks her uncle about her parents’ marriage. She asks him where her mother is, something she always wonders about but never asks, and Helstone tells her he knows nothing about it. Caroline hastens to Hollow’s Cottage but Robert does not meet her with the same warmth as the day before. She feels that she must have mistaken her feelings and resolves herself to be strong in spite of her affection for him.

Back at home, she thinks Robert has come to visit her uncle, but it is just the young curates. She is also visited by Mrs. Sykes and three of her daughters. They have an awkward social meeting and then the women share tea with the curates. Caroline helps the cook and housemaid prepare tea in order to stay away from the people she feels so different from. At tea, the men flirt with the beautiful Mrs. Sykes and Caroline arranges for music to be played while listening with antipathy. When Caroline hides away in the dining room, Robert comes with a message to Helstone. The meeting is awkward, and Robert tells Caroline he has worked out the identity of one of the men who smashed his machines. The two separate before they can be seen alone together, but Robert kisses Caroline goodnight on the cheek.

The next morning, Robert tells Helstone one of Helstone’s parishioners, Barraclough, was the one who ransacked Robert’s wagons, and also attacked the property of Mr. Sykes. Robert wants Sykes to prosecute Barraclough. Barraclough comes to see Robert, bringing 11 other out-of-work men who tell him to leave his mill and the country with thinly-veiled threats. Robert resolutely refuses their demands and has Barraclough arrested by a waiting constable. Another unemployed worker named William Farren arrives and asks Robert much more calmly to have pity on Barraclough. Robert refuses him too, but knows he has left a harsh impression on the men. William thinks about this at home where he and his family barely have enough to eat, and the Farrens are visited by Mr. Hall, a beloved local clergyman. The men talk about the situation at the mill and the clergyman offers to loan him money as he believes William can use it wisely to improve his prospects.

Robert asks Joe about William, who tells him William was a good worker but has been unemployed for months as there has been no work he can get. The narrator travels to Mr. Yorke’s village and his home, describing his wife and six children and the hard futures they will face. Robert comes to visit the family and the children talk with him about how they heard Caroline defending Robert to other neighborhood ladies. Robert asks Yorke, another mill owner, to employ William as he is better equipped to do so than he is, but Yorke tells him it is Robert’s responsibility. Yorke agrees to think about hiring William as a groundskeeper. The two talk about marriage and Robert still thinks he will never marry, but Yorke presses him to consider it if he comes across a rich woman.

The war and suffering continue through the spring of 1811. Helstone and Robert continue to argue and Helstone refuses to let Caroline see her cousins as he starts to believe Caroline and Robert are falling for one another. This order coincides with Caroline’s own resolution to stop visiting Hollow’s Cottage, as it has become painful to her to see Robert—who has become even more obsessed with his business—while she only thinks of him. She also recognizes that she will never marry if Robert will not have her and wonders what she will do for the rest of her life. The Helstones’ maid, Fanny, notices how dismal Caroline is and suggests she visit some women of the town who are both considered “old maids,” as Caroline thinks she will be. Caroline visits a Miss Mann, whom she recognizes she has previously misjudged as a cold woman. She resolves to visit her once a week. The next day she visits Miss Ainley, who she finds is similarly misunderstood. Caroline sees that these are women are busy and purposeful in their ways but she can still not see herself enjoying life as an “old maid.” Caroline busies herself by walking and helping with Miss Ainley’s charity work but she does not enjoy either for long and still cannot forget Robert.