Henry looked very sorry, and Jael, without moving, looked at Grace, and opened those sluices, her eyes, and two big drops of sympathy rolled down her comely face in a moment.
That day, when young Little shut the street-door of "Woodbine Villa" and stepped into the road, a sort of dull pain seemed to traverse his chest.
It made his heart ache a little, this contrast of the sweet society he had left and the smoky town toward which he now turned his face. He seemed to be ejected from Paradise for the next five days. It was Monday yet he wished the next day was Sat.u.r.day, and the intervening period could be swept away, so that he might be entering that soft Paradise instead of leaving it.
And this sentiment, once rooted, grew rapidly in an aspiring nature, and a heart that had never yet entertained a serious pa.s.sion. Now the fair head that bowed over the work so near him, the lovely hand he had so often to direct, and almost to guide, and all the other perfections of mind and body this enchanting girl possessed, crept in at his admiring eyes, and began to steal into his very veins, and fill him with soft complacency. His brusque manner dissolved away, and his voice became low and soft, whenever he was in her delicious presence. He spoke softly to Jael even, if Grace was there. The st.u.r.dy workman was enthralled.
Often he wondered at himself. Sometimes he felt alarmed at the strength of his pa.s.sion and the direction it had taken.
"What," said he, "have I flirted with so many girls in my own way of life, and come away heart-whole, and now to fall in love with a gentlewoman, who would bid her footman show me the door if she knew of my presumption!"
But these misgivings could neither cure him nor cow him. Let him only make money, and become a master instead of a workman, and then he would say to her, "I don"t value birth myself, but if you do, why, I am not come of workpeople."
He traced a plan with workmanlike precision:--Profound discretion and self-restraint at "Woodbine Villa:" restless industry and stern self-denial in Hillsborough.
After his day"s work he used to go straight to his mother. She gave him a cup of tea, and then they had their chat; and after that the s.e.xes were inverted, so to speak: the man carved fruit, and flowers, and dead woodc.o.c.ks, the woman read the news and polities of the day, and the essays on labor and capital, and any other articles not too flimsy to bear reading aloud to a man whose time was coin. (There was a free library in Hillsborough, and a mechanic could take out standard books and reviews.) Thus they pa.s.sed the evening hours agreeably, and usefully too, for Henry sucked in knowledge like a leech, and at the same time carved things that sold well in London. He had a strong inclination to open his heart about Miss Carden. Accordingly, one evening he said, "She lost her mother when she was a child."
"Who lost her mother?" asked Mrs. Little.
"Miss Carden," said Henry, very softly.
The tone was not lost on Mrs. Little"s fine and watchful ear; at least her mind seized it a few seconds afterward.
"That is true," said she. "Poor girl! I remember hearing of it. Henry, what is that to you? Don"t you trouble your head about that young lady, or she will trouble your heart. I wish you did not go near her."
And then came question upon question, and vague maternal misgivings.
Henry parried them as adroitly as he could: but never mentioned Miss Carden"s name again.
He thought of her all the more, and counted his gains every week, and began to inquire of experienced persons how much money was wanted to set up a wheel with steam power, and be a master instead of a man. He gathered that a stranger could hardly start fair without L500.
"That is a good lump!" thought Henry: "but I"ll have it, if I work night as well as day."
Thus inspired, his life became a sweet delirium. When he walked, he seemed to tread on air: when he forged, his hammer felt a feather in his hand. The mountains in the way looked molehills, and the rainbow tangible, to Youth, and Health, and Hope, and mighty Love.
One afternoon, as he put on his coat and crossed the yard, after a day"s work that had pa.s.sed like a pleasant hour, being gilded with such delightful antic.i.p.ations, the foreman of the works made him a mysterious signal. Henry saw it, and followed him into his office. Bayne looked carefully out of all the doors, then closed them softly, and his face betrayed anxiety, and even fear.
"Little," said he, almost in a whisper, "you know me: I"m a man of peace, and so for love of peace I"m going to do something that might get me into a wrangle. But you are the civillest chap ever worked under me and the best workman, take you altogether, and I can"t bear to see you kept in the dark, when you are the man whose skin--only--if I act like a man to you, will you act like one to me?"
"I will," said Henry; "there"s my hand on it."
Then Bayne stepped to his desk, opened it, and took out some letters.
"You must never tell a soul I showed them you, or you will get me into a row with Cheetham; and I want to be at peace in-doors as well as out."
"I give you my word."
"Then read that, to begin."
And he handed him a letter addressed to Mr. Cheetham.
"SIR,--We beg respectfully to draw your attention to a matter, which is of a nature to cause unpleasantness between you and the Trades. We allude to your bringing a workman in from another town to do work that we are informed can be done on the premises by your own hands.
"We a.s.sure you it would be more to your interest to work in harmony with the smiths and the handle-makers in your employ, and the trade generally. Yours respectfully,
"THE COMMITTEE OF THE EDGE-TOOL FORGERS" UNION."
Henry colored up at this, and looked grieved; but he said, "I am sorry to be the cause of any unpleasantness. But what can I do?"
"Oh," said Bayne, with a sardonic grin, "they are sure to tell you that, soon or late. Read this:"
No. 2 was dated a week later, and ran thus:
"MR. CHEETHAM: SIR,--I think you do very ill to annoy a many craftsmen for one. Remember, you have suffered loss and inconvenience whenever you have gone against Trades. We had to visit you last year, and when we came your bands went and your bellows gaped. We have no wish to come again this year, if you will be reasonable. But, sir, you must part with London hand, or take consequences.
"BALAAM."
Henry looked grave. "Can I see a copy of Mr. Cheetham"s reply?"
Bayne stared at him, and then laughed in his face, but without the gayety that should accompany a laugh. "Cheetham"s reply to Balaam! And where would he send it? To Mr. Beor"s lodgings, No. 1 Prophet Place, Old Testament Square. My poor chap, n.o.body writes replies to these letters.
When you get one, you go that minute to the secretary of whatever Union you are wrong with, and you don"t argue, or he bids you good-morning; you give in to whatever he asks, and then you get civility; and justice too, according to Trade lights. If you don"t do that, and haven"t learned what a blessing Peace is, why, you make up your mind to fight the Trade; and if you do, you have to fight them all; and you are safe to get the worst of it, soon or late. Cheetham has taken no notice of these letters. All the worse for him and you too. Read that."
No. 3 ran thus:
"DEAR SIR,--I take the liberty of addressing you on the subject of your keeping on this k.n.o.bstick, in defiance of them that has the power to make stones of Hillsborough too hot for you and him. Are you deaf, or blind, or a fool, Jack Cheatem? You may cheat the world, but you don"t cheat the devil, nor me. Turn c.o.c.kney up, with no more ado, or you"ll both get kicked to h.e.l.l some dark night by
"BALAAM"S a.s.s."
Henry was silent; quite silent. When he did speak, it was to ask why Mr.
Cheetham had kept all this from him.
"Because you shouldn"t take fright and leave him," was the unhesitating reply.
"For that matter they threaten him more than they do me."
"They warn the master first; but the workman"s turn is sure to come, and he gets it hottest, because they have so many ways of doing him.
Cheetham, he lives miles from here, and rides in across country, and out again, in daylight. But the days are drawing in, and you have got to pa.s.s through these dark streets, where the Trades have a thousand friends, and you not one. Don"t you make any mistake: you are in their power; so pray don"t copy any hot-headed, wrong-headed gentleman like Cheetham, but speak them fair. Come to terms--if you can--and let us be at peace; sweet, balmy peace."
"Peace is a good thing, no doubt," said Henry, "but" (rather bitterly) "I don"t thank Cheetham for letting me run blindfold into trouble, and me a stranger."
"Oh," said Bayne, "he is no worse than the rest, believe me. What does any master care for a man"s life? Profit and loss go down in figures; but life--that"s a cipher in all their ledgers."
"Oh, come," said Harry, "it is unphilosophical and narrow-minded to fasten on a cla.s.s the faults of a few individuals, that form a very moderate portion of that cla.s.s."