Grace took no notice. "Would you like to see how I look with my one eyebrow?" said she. "Jael, please fetch it."
While Jael was gone for the bust, Henry took a humbler tone, and in a low voice began to excuse his absence; and I think he would have told the real truth, if he had been encouraged a little; but he was met with a cold and withering a.s.surance that it was a matter of no consequence.
Henry thought this unfair, and, knowing in his own heart it was ungrateful, he rebelled. He bit his lip, sat down as gloomy as the grave, and resumed his work, silent and sullen.
As for Jael, she brought in the bust, and then sat down with her bonnet on, quaking; for she felt sure that, in such a dismal dearth of conversation, Miss Carden would be certain to turn round very soon, and say, "Well, Jael, you can go now."
But this Quaker"s meeting was interrupted by a doctor looking in to prescribe for Miss Carden"s cold. The said cold was imperceptible to vulgar eyes, but Grace had detected it, and had written to her friend, Dr. Amboyne, to come and make it as imperceptible to herself as to the spectator.
In rolled the doctor, and was not a little startled at sight of Little.
"Hallo!" cried be. "What, cured already? Cairnhope forever!" He then proceeded to feel his pulse instead of Miss Carden"s, and inspect his eye, at which Grace Carden stared.
"What, is he unwell?"
"Why, a man does not get blown up with gunpowder without some little disturbance of the system."
"Blown up with gunpowder! What DO you mean?"
"What, have you not heard about it? Don"t you read the newspapers?"
"No; never."
"Merciful powers! But has he not told you?"
"No; he tells us nothing."
"Then I"ll tell you, it is of no use your making faces at me. There is no earthly reason why she should be kept in the dark. These Hillsborough trades want to drive this young man out of town: why--is too long and intricate for you to follow. He resists this tyranny, gently, but firmly."
"I"d resist it furiously," said Grace.
"The consequence is, they wrote him several threatening letters; and, at last, some caitiff put gunpowder into his forge; it exploded, and blew him out of a second-floor window."
"Oh! oh!" screamed Grace Carden and Jael; and by one womanly impulse they both put their hands before their faces, as if to shut out the horrible picture.
"What is that for?" said the doctor. "You see he is all right now. But, I promise you, he cut a very different figure when I saw him directly afterward; he was scorched as black as a coal--"
"Oh, doctor, don"t; pray don"t. Oh, sir, why did you not tell me?"
"And his face bleeding," continued the merciless doctor.
"Oh dear! oh dear!" And the sweet eyes were turned, all swimming in water upon Henry, with a look of angelic pity.
"His nerves were terribly shaken, but there were no bones broken. I said to myself, "He must sleep or go mad, and he will not sleep in the town that has blown him up." I just drove the patient off to peace and pure air, and confided him to one of the best creatures in England--Martha Dence."
Jael uttered an exclamation of wonder, which drew attention to her and her glowing cheeks.
"Oh yes, Miss Jael," said Henry, "I was going to tell you. I have been a fortnight with your people, and, if I live a hundred years, I shall not forget their goodness to me. G.o.d bless them."
""Twas the least they could do," said Jael, softly.
"What a pity you are going out. I should have liked to talk to you about your father, and Martha, and George the blacksmith. Doctor, who would live in a town after Cairnhope?"
Jael"s fingers trembled at her bonnet-strings, and, turning a look of piteous supplication on Grace, she faltered out, "If you please, miss, might I stay over to-day?"
"Of course. And then he will tell you all about your people, and that will do just as well as you going to see them; and better."
Off came Jael"s bonnet with wonderful celerity.
"Get the whole story out of him," said Dr. Amboyne. "It is well worth your attention. As for me, I must go as soon as I have prescribed for you. What is the matter?"
"The matter is that there"s nothing the matter; prescribe for that. And that I"m a goose--prescribe for that--and don"t read the newspapers; prescribe for that."
"Well, then, I prescribe the Hillsborough Liberal. It has drawn a strong picture of this outrage, and shown its teeth to the Trades. And, if I might advise a lady of your age and experience, I would say, in future always read the newspapers. They are, compared with books, what machinery is compared with hand-labor. But, in this one instance, go to the fountain-head, and ask Mr. Henry Little there, to tell you his own tragedy, with all the ins and outs."
"Ah! if he would," said Grace, turning her eyes on Henry. "But he is not so communicative to poor us. Is he, Jael?"
"No, miss."
"He never even told us his name. Did he, Jael?"
"No, miss. He is very close."
"Open him then," said the doctor. "Come, come, there are a pair of you; and evidently disposed to act in concert; if you can not turn a man inside out, I disown you; you are a discredit to your s.e.x." He then shook hands with all three of them, and rolled away.
"Jael," said Miss Carden, "oblige me by ringing the bell."
A servant entered.
"Not at home to any human creature," said the young lady.
The servant retired.
"And, if they see me at the window, all the worse--for THEM. Now, Mr.
Little?"
Henry complied, and told the whole story, with the exception of the threat to his sweetheart; and pa.s.sed two delightful hours. Who is so devoid of egotism as not to like to tell his own adventures to sympathizing beauty? He told it in detail, and even read them portions of the threatening letters; and, as he told it, their lovely eyes seemed on fire; and they were red, and pale, by turns. He told it, like a man, with dignity, and sobriety, and never used an epithet. It was Miss Carden who supplied the "Monsters!" "Villains!" "Cowards!" "Wretches!"
at due intervals. And once she started from her seat, and said she could not bear it. "I see through it all," she cried. "That Jobson is a hypocrite; and he is at the bottom of it all. I hate him; and Parkin worse. As for the a.s.sa.s.sin, I hope G.o.d, who saw him, will punish him.
What I want to do is to kill Jobson and Parkin, one after another; kill them--kill them--kill them--I"ll tell papa."
As for Jael, she could not speak her mind, but she panted heavily, and her fingers worked convulsively, and clutched themselves very tight at last.
When he had done his narrative, he said sadly, "I despise these fellows as much as you do; but they are too many for me. I am obliged to leave Hillsborough."
"What, let the wretches drive you away? I would never do that--if I was a man."
"What would you do, then?" asked Henry, his eye sparkling.
"Do? Why fight them; and beat them; and kill them, it is not as if they were brave men. They are only cunning cowards. I"d meet cunning with cunning. I"d outwit them somehow. I"d change my lodging every week, and live at little inns and places. I"d lock up every thing I used, as well as the rooms. I"d consult wiser heads, the editor of the Liberal, and the Head of the police. I"d carry fire-arms, and have a bodyguard, night and day; but they should never say they had frightened me out of Hillsborough--if I was a man."