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036 - Ch 36 - Union Not Always Strength · North and South (version 2)

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  Speaker 1: Chapter thirty six of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Marianne,
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  Speaker 1: chapter thirty six, Union not always strength, the steps of
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  Speaker 1: the bearers heavy and slow, the sobs of the mourners
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  Speaker 1: deep and low. Shelley at the time arranged the previous day,
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  Speaker 1: they set out on their walk to see Nicholas Higgins
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  Speaker 1: and his daughter. They both were reminded of their recent
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  Speaker 1: loss by strange kind of shyness in their new habiliments,
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  Speaker 1: and the fact that it was the first time for
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  Speaker 1: many weeks that they had deliberately gone out together. They
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  Speaker 1: drew very close to each other in unspoken sympathy. Nicholas
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  Speaker 1: was sitting by the fireside in his accustomed corner, but
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  Speaker 1: he had not his accustomed pipe. He was leaning his
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  Speaker 1: head upon his hand, his arm resting on his knee.
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  Speaker 1: He did not get up when he saw them, though
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  Speaker 1: Margaret could reach the welcome in his eyes. Sit ye down,
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  Speaker 1: Sit ye down. Fire's really out, said he, giving it
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  Speaker 1: a vigorous poke, as if to turn attention away from himself.
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  Speaker 1: He was rather disorderly, to be sure, with a black,
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  Speaker 1: unshaven beard of several days growth, making his pale face
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  Speaker 1: look yet paler, and a jacket which would have been
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  Speaker 1: all the better for patching. We thought we should have
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  Speaker 1: a good chance of finding you just after dinner time,
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  Speaker 1: said Margaret. We have had our sorrow too since we
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  Speaker 1: saw you, said mister Hale. Aye, Aye, sorrow is more
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  Speaker 1: plentiful than dinner's. Just now, I reckon my dinner hour
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  Speaker 1: stretches all o'er the day. You're pretty sure a findin me.
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  Speaker 1: Are you out of work? Asked Margaret, Aye, he replied shortly. Then,
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  Speaker 1: after a moment's silence, he added, looking up for the
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  Speaker 1: first time, I'm not wanton brass. Dunno yo think it, bess.
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  Speaker 1: Poor Lass had a little under her pillow ready to
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  Speaker 1: slip into my hand last moment, and Mary is fustian cutting.
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  Speaker 1: But I'm out o work a the same. We owe
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  Speaker 1: Mary some money, said mister Hale, before Margaret's sharp pressure
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  Speaker 1: on his arm could arrest the words. If who takes it,
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  Speaker 1: I'll turn her out o doors. I'll bide inside these
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  Speaker 1: four walls and she'll bide out. That's a but we
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  Speaker 1: owe her many thanks for kind service, began mister Hale. Again,
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  Speaker 1: I ne'er thanked yer daughter dear for her deeds. A
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  Speaker 1: love to my poor wench I ne'er could find the words.
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  Speaker 1: I'll have to begin and try now if YO start
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  Speaker 1: makin' an ado about what little Mary could sarve? Yo?
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  Speaker 1: Is it because of the strike you're out of work?
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  Speaker 1: Asked Margaret gently strikes ended. It's oer for this time.
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  Speaker 1: But I'm out o work because I ne'er asked for it,
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  Speaker 1: and I ne'er asked for it, because good words is
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  Speaker 1: scarce and bad's words is plentiful. He was in a
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  Speaker 1: mood to take a surly pleasure in giving answers that
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  Speaker 1: were like riddles, but Margaret saw that he would like
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  Speaker 1: to be asked for the explanation. And good words are
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  Speaker 1: askin for work, I reckon Them's almost the best words
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  Speaker 1: that men can say. Gimme work means and I'll do
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  Speaker 1: it like a man. Them's good words, and bad words
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  Speaker 1: are refusing you work when you ask for it. Aye,
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  Speaker 1: bad words is saying aha, my fine chap. Yo've been
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  Speaker 1: true to your order, and I'll be true to mine.
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  Speaker 1: Yo did the best you could for them as wanted help.
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  Speaker 1: That's your way of being true to your kind and
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  Speaker 1: I'll be true to mine. You've been a poor fool
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  Speaker 1: as knowed no better, nor be a true, faithful fool.
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  Speaker 1: So go and be damned to you. There's no work
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  Speaker 1: for yo here. Them's bad words. I'm not a fool,
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  Speaker 1: And if I was, Forgotta Hay taught me how to
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  Speaker 1: be wise after their fashion, I could mappen Hay learned
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  Speaker 1: if any one had tried to teach me. Would it
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  Speaker 1: not be worth while? Said mister Hale, to ask your
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  Speaker 1: old master if he would take you back again. It
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  Speaker 1: might be a poor chance, but it would be a chance.
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  Speaker 1: He looked up again with a sharp glance at the questioner,
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  Speaker 1: and then tittered a low and bitter laugh. Measter, if
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  Speaker 1: it's no offense, I'll ask yo a question or two
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  Speaker 1: in my turn. You're quite welcome, said mister Hale. I reckon,
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  Speaker 1: Yon some way of earning your bread. Folks seldom lives
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  Speaker 1: e Milton just for pleasure, if they can live anywhere else.
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  Speaker 1: You are quite right. I have some independent property, but
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  Speaker 1: my intention in settling in Milton was to become a
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  Speaker 1: private tutor to teach folk. Well, I reckon they pay
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  Speaker 1: yo for teaching them? Dunnot they? Yes? Replied mister Hale, smiling.
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  Speaker 1: I teach in order to get paid an them that pays, yo.
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  Speaker 1: Don't they tell you, yo, what'n to do or what
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  Speaker 1: a nought to do? Wi the money they give you
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  Speaker 1: and just payment for your pains in fair exchange like No,
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  Speaker 1: to be sure not? They do not say? You may
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  Speaker 1: have a brother or friend as dear as a brother
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  Speaker 1: who wants this here brass for a purpose both you
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  Speaker 1: and he thinks right, But yo, men promise not to
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  Speaker 1: give it to him. Yo, men say a good use
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  Speaker 1: as you think to put your money to. But we
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  Speaker 1: don't think it good. And so if you'll spend it
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  Speaker 1: a that ns, we'll leave off dayling with yo. They
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  Speaker 1: dunnot say that, dunn they no to be sure not?
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  Speaker 1: Would ye stand for it? If they did, it would
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  Speaker 1: be some very hard pressure that would make me even
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  Speaker 1: think of submitting to such dictation. There's not the pressure
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  Speaker 1: on all the broad earth that would make me, said
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  Speaker 1: Nicholas Higgins. Now you've got it. You've hit the bull's eye.
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  Speaker 1: Hampers that's where I worked. Makes their men pledge themselves,
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  Speaker 1: then give a penny to help the union or keep
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  Speaker 1: turnouts from clemmin' they may pledge and make pledge, continued
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  Speaker 1: he scornfully, they n but make liars and hypocrites. And
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  Speaker 1: that's a less sin to my mind, to make in
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  Speaker 1: men's heart so hard that they'll not do a kindness
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  Speaker 1: to them as needs it, or help on the right
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  Speaker 1: and just cause. Though it goes again the strong hand.
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  Speaker 1: But I'll never forswear myself for ai the work The
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  Speaker 1: king could gie me. I'm a member of the union,
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  Speaker 1: and I think it's the only thing to do the
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  Speaker 1: workmen any good. And I've been a turnout and known
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  Speaker 1: what it were to clem So if I get a shilling,
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  Speaker 1: sixpence shall go to them. If they axe it from
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  Speaker 1: me consequence, is I dunnot see where I'm to get
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  Speaker 1: a shilling. Is that rule about not contributing to the
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  Speaker 1: union enforce at all? The Mills asked Margaret. I cannot say.
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  Speaker 1: It's a new regulation, towern and I reckon they'll find
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  Speaker 1: that they cannot stick to it. But it's in force
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  Speaker 1: now by and by they'll find out tyrants make liars.
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  Speaker 1: There was a little pause. Margaret was hesitating whether she
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  Speaker 1: should say what was in her mind. She was unwilling
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  Speaker 1: to irritate one who was already gloomy and despondent enough.
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  Speaker 1: At last it came out, but in her soft tones,
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  Speaker 1: and with her reluctant manner, showing that she was unwilling
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  Speaker 1: to say anything unpleasant, it did not seem to annoy Higgins,
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  Speaker 1: only to perplex him. Do you remember poor Boucher saying
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  Speaker 1: that the Union was a tyrant? I think he said
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  Speaker 1: it was the worst tyrant of all, and I remember
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  Speaker 1: at the time I agreed with him. It was a
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  Speaker 1: long time before he spoke. He was resting his head
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  Speaker 1: on his two hands and looking down into the fire,
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  Speaker 1: so she could not read the expression on his face.
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  Speaker 1: I'll not deny, but what the Union finds it necessary
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  Speaker 1: to force a man into his own good, I'll speak truth.
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  Speaker 1: A man leads a dree life. Who's not he the union,
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  Speaker 1: but one it's e the Union. His interests are taking
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  Speaker 1: care on better nor he could do it for himself,
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  Speaker 1: or by hisself, for that matter. It's the only way
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  Speaker 1: working men can get their rights by all joining together,
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  Speaker 1: more the members, more chance for each one separate man
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  Speaker 1: having justice done him. Government takes care of fools and madmen,
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  Speaker 1: And if any man is inclined to do hisself or
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  Speaker 1: his neighbor or hurt. It puts a bit of check
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  Speaker 1: on him, whether he likes it or no. That's all
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  Speaker 1: we do e the Union. We can't clap folks into prison,
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  Speaker 1: but we can make a man's life so heavy to
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  Speaker 1: be borne that he's obliged to come in and be
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  Speaker 1: wise and helpful in spite of himself. Boucher were a
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  Speaker 1: fool all along, and ne'er a worse fool than at
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  Speaker 1: the last. He did you harm, asked Margaret Aye. That
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  Speaker 1: he did. We had public opinion on our side till
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  Speaker 1: he and his sort began rioting and breaking laws. It
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  Speaker 1: were all over with the strike. That then, would it
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  Speaker 1: not have been far better to have left him alone
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  Speaker 1: and not forced him to join the Union? He did
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  Speaker 1: you no good, and you drove him mad, Margaret, said
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  Speaker 1: her father in a low and warning tone, for he
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  Speaker 1: saw the cloud gathering on Higgins's face. I like her,
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  Speaker 1: said Higgins suddenly, who speaks plain out what's on her mind?
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  Speaker 1: Who doesn't comprehend the Union For all that it's a
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  Speaker 1: great power, it's our only power. I hear read a
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  Speaker 1: bit of poetry about a plow going o'er a daisy,
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  Speaker 1: as made tears come into my eyes afore eyed other
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  Speaker 1: cause for cryin. But the chap ne'er stopped driving the
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  Speaker 1: plow eyes warrant for all he were pitiful about the daisy.
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  Speaker 1: He too much, mother wit for that. The union's the plow,
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  Speaker 1: making ready the land for harvest time, such as Boucher
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  Speaker 1: twould be settin him up too much to liken him
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  Speaker 1: to a daisy. He's like her a weed lounging over
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  Speaker 1: the girl. Mun jest make up their mind to be
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  Speaker 1: put o' the way. I'm sore vexed with him just now,
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  Speaker 1: so mappen, I dunnot speak him fairer. I could go
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  Speaker 1: o'er him with a plow myself with a the pleasure
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  Speaker 1: in life. Why what has he been doing anything? Fresh? Aye?
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  Speaker 1: To be sure he's ne'er out o mischief that man.
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  Speaker 1: First of all, he must go raging like a mad fool,
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  Speaker 1: an kick up yon riot. Then he'd go into hiding
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  Speaker 1: where he'd a been yet. If Thornton had followed him out,
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  Speaker 1: as I'd hoped, he would it done. But Thornton, having
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  Speaker 1: got his own purpose, didn't care to go on wi
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  Speaker 1: the prosecution of the riot, so Boucher slunk back again
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  Speaker 1: to his house. He ne'er showed himself abroad for a
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  Speaker 1: day or two. He had that grace, And then where
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  Speaker 1: do you think he went? Why to Hamper's Damn him,
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  Speaker 1: he went with his mealy mouthed face. That turns me
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  Speaker 1: sick to look at a askin for work, work, though
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  Speaker 1: he knowed well enough the new rule a pledging themselves
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  Speaker 1: to get naught to the unions, not to help the
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  Speaker 1: starving turn out. Why he'd a clemmed to death if
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  Speaker 1: the Union had Nay helped him in his pinch. There
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  Speaker 1: he went owsten to promise aught and pledge himself to Aught,
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  Speaker 1: to tell a he knowed on our proceedings the good
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  Speaker 1: for nothing Judas. But I'll say this for Hamper and
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  Speaker 1: thank him for it. At my dying day. He drove
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  Speaker 1: Boucher away, and when Nay listened to him, ne'er a word,
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  Speaker 1: though folks standing by says the traitor cried like a babby. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: how shocking, how pitiful, exclaimed Margaret Higgins. I don't know
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  Speaker 1: you to day. Don't you see how you've made Boucher
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  Speaker 1: what he is by driving him into the Union against
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  Speaker 1: his will, without his heart going with it. You have
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  Speaker 1: made him what he is, made him what he was?
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  Speaker 1: What was he gathering? Gathering? Along the narrow street came
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  Speaker 1: a hollowed, measured sound, now forcing itself on their attention.
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  Speaker 1: Many voices were hushed and low. Many steps were heard,
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  Speaker 1: not moving onwards at least, not with any rapidity or
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  Speaker 1: steadiness of motion, but as if circling round one spot. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: there was one distinct, slow tramp of feet, which made
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  Speaker 1: itself a clear path through the air, and reached their
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  Speaker 1: ears the measured, labored walk of men carrying a heavy burden.
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  Speaker 1: They were all drawn towards the house door by some
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  Speaker 1: irresistible impulse, impelled thither not by a poor curiosity, but
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  Speaker 1: as if by some solemn blast. Six men walked in
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  Speaker 1: the middle of the road, three of them being policemen.
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  Speaker 1: They carried a door taken off its hinges, upon their shoulders,
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  Speaker 1: on which lay some dead human creature. And from each
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  Speaker 1: side of the door there were constant droppings. All the
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  Speaker 1: street turned out to see, and seeing to accompany the procession,
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  Speaker 1: each one questioning the bears, who answered almost reluctantly at last,
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  Speaker 1: so often had they told the tale we found to
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  Speaker 1: me the brook by the field beyond there, the brook.
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  Speaker 1: Why there's not water enough to drown him? He was
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  Speaker 1: a determined chap. He lay with his face downwards. He
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  Speaker 1: was sick enough o livin choose what cause he had
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  Speaker 1: for it. Higgins crept up to Margaret's side and said,
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  Speaker 1: in a weak piping kind of voice, it's not John Boucher.
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  Speaker 1: He Henny spunk enough, Sure, it's not John Boucher. Why
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  Speaker 1: they are looking this way? Listen, I've a singin in
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  Speaker 1: my head and I cannot hear. They put the door
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  Speaker 1: down carefully upon the stones, and all might see the
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  Speaker 1: poor drowned wretch, his glassy eyes one half open, staring
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  Speaker 1: right upwards to the sky, owing to the position in
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  Speaker 1: which he had been found lying. His face was swollen
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  Speaker 1: and discolored. Besides, his skin was stained by the water
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  Speaker 1: in the brook, which had been used for dying purposes.
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  Speaker 1: The fore part of his head was bald, but the
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  Speaker 1: hair grew thin and long behind, and every separate lock
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  Speaker 1: was a conduit for water. Through all these disfigurements, Margaret
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  Speaker 1: recognized John Boucher. It seemed to her so sacrilegious to
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  Speaker 1: be peering into that poor distorted agonized face that by
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  Speaker 1: a flash of instinct, she went forwards and softly covered
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  Speaker 1: the dead man's countenance with her handkerchief. The eyes that
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  Speaker 1: saw her do this followed her as she turned away
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  Speaker 1: from her pious office, and were thus led to the
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  Speaker 1: place where Nicholas Higgins stood, like one rooted to the spot.
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  Speaker 1: The men spoke together, and then one of them came
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  Speaker 1: up to Higgins, who would have fain shrunk back into
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  Speaker 1: his house. Higgins an thou owed him, thou, mun go
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  Speaker 1: tell the wife. Do it gently, man, but do it quick,
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  Speaker 1: for we cannot leave him here long. I cannot go,
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  Speaker 1: said Higgins. Do not ask me. I canna face, sir,
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  Speaker 1: Thou knowest her best, said the man. We'd done a
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  Speaker 1: deal in bringing him here. Thou take thy share. I
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  Speaker 1: cannot do it, said Higgins. I'm willy felled. We see
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  Speaker 1: in him. We wasn't friends, and now he's dead. Well,
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  Speaker 1: if thou wantest, thou wantt some one mun though it's
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: a dree task, but it's a chance every minute as
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  Speaker 1: she doesn't hear it in some rougher way, nor person
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  Speaker 1: going to make her let on by degrees as it were, Papa,
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  Speaker 1: do you go, said Margaret, in a low voice, if
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  Speaker 1: I could, if I had time to think of what
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  Speaker 1: I had better say. But all at once Margaret saw
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  Speaker 1: that her father was indeed unable. He was trembling from
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  Speaker 1: head to foot. I will go, said she, bless you,
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  Speaker 1: miss It will be a kind act, for she's been
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  Speaker 1: a sickly sort of body. I hear, and a few
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  Speaker 1: hereabouts know much on her. Margaret knocked at the closed door,
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  Speaker 1: but there was such a noise, as of many little,
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  Speaker 1: ill ordered children, that she could hear no reply. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: she doubted if she was heard, And as every moment
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  Speaker 1: of delay made her recoil from her task more and more,
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  Speaker 1: she opened the door and went in, shutting it after her,
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  Speaker 1: and even unseen to the woman fastening the bolt, Missus
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  Speaker 1: Boucher was sitting in a rocking chair on the other
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  Speaker 1: side of the ill red up fireplace. It looked as
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  Speaker 1: if the house had been untouched for days by any
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: effort at cleanliness. Margaret said something she hardly knew what.
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  Speaker 1: Her throat and mouth were so dry, and the children's
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: noise completely prevented her from being heard. She tried again,
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  Speaker 1: how are you, missus Boucher, but very poorly. I'm afraid
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  Speaker 1: I've no chance of bein' welled, she said querulously. I'm
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  Speaker 1: left alone to manage these childer, and not for to
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  Speaker 1: give 'em, for to keep 'em quiet. John Shondaya left
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  Speaker 1: me and me so poorly? How long is it since
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  Speaker 1: he went away? Four days? Sin? No one would give
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  Speaker 1: him work here, and he'd to go on tramp toward Greenfield.
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  Speaker 1: But he might have been back afore this, or sent
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  Speaker 1: me some word if he'd gotten work. He might. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: don't blame him, said Margaret. He felt it deeply. I'm
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: sure will to hold thy din an. Let me hear
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: the lady speak, addressing herself in no very gentle voice
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  Speaker 1: to a little urchin of about a year old. She
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  Speaker 1: apologetically continued to Margaret, he's always mitherin for Daddy and
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  Speaker 1: butty and and I have no butdies to give him,
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  Speaker 1: and Daddy's away and forgetten us. Eh. I think he's
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  Speaker 1: his father's darling. He is, said she, with a sudden
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  Speaker 1: turn of mood, and dragging the child up to her knee,
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  Speaker 1: she began kissing it fondly. Margaret laid her hand on
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  Speaker 1: the woman's arm to arrest her attention. Their eyes met,
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  Speaker 1: poor little fellow, said Margaret slowly. He was his father's darling.
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  Speaker 1: He is his father's darling, said the woman, rising hastily
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: and standing face to face with Margaret. Neither of them
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: spoke for a moment or two. Then missus Boucher began
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: in a low growling tone, gathering in wildness as she
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: went on, he is his father's darling. I say, poor
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: folk can love their childer as well as rich. Why
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  Speaker 1: dnna ye speak? Why don't ye stare at me? We
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  Speaker 1: are great? Pitiful eyes? Where's John? Weak? As she was,
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: she should Margaret to force out an answer. Oh my god,
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  Speaker 1: said she, understanding the meaning of that tearful look. She
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: sank back into the chair. Margaret took up the child
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  Speaker 1: and put him into her arms. He loved him, said
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: she Aye, said the woman, shaking her head. He loved us. Ay,
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: we had some one to love us once. It's a
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: long time ago, but when he were in life and
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  Speaker 1: with us, he did love us. He did. He loved
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: this Bappy mappen the best on us. But he loved me,
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: and I loved him though I was calling him five
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: minutes agone, Are you sure he's dead, said she trying
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: to keep up. If it's only that he's ill and
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: like to die, they may bring him round yet. But
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: I'm an ailing creature, missel, and I've been ailing this
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: long time. But he is dead. He is drowned. Folks
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: are brought round after their dead drowned? What'm was I
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: thinking of? To sit still when I should be stirring myself? Here?
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: Wist thee child, Whist thee take this, take aught to
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: play with? But dunna cry while my heart's breakin' Oh
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: where's my strength gone? To? Oh? John husband, Margaret saved
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: her from falling by catching her in her arms. She
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: sat down in the rocking chair and held the woman
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: upon her knees, her head lying on Margaret's shoulder. The
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: other children, clustered together in affright, began to understand the
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: mystery of the scene, But the ideas came slowly, for
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: their brains were dull and languid of perception. They set
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: up such a cry of despair as they guessed the
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: truth that Margaret knew not how to bear it. Johnny's
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: cry was loudest of them all, though he did not
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: know why he cried. Poor little fellow. The mother quivered
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: as she lay in Margaret's arms. Margaret heard a noise
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: at the door. It open it quick, she said to
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: the eldest child, it's bolted. Make no noise. Be very still,
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: Oh Papa. Let them go upstairs very softly and carefully,
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: and perhaps she will not hear them. She has fainted,
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: that's all. It was well for her, poor creature, said
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: a woman following in the wake of the bearers of
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: the dead. But you are not fit to hold her stay.
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: I'll fetch a pillow and will let her down easy
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: on the floor. This helpful neighbor was a great relief
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: to Margaret. She was evidently a stranger to the house,
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: a newcomer in the district, indeed, but she was so
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: kind and thoughtful that Margaret felt she was no longer needed,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: and that it would be better, perhaps to set an
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: example of clearing the house, which was filled with idle
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: if sympathizing gazers. She looked round for Nicholas Higgins. He
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: was not there. She spoke to the woman who had
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: taken the lead in placing missus Boucher on the floor.
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: Can you give all these people a hint that they
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: had better leave? In quietness, so that when she comes
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: round she should only find one or two that she
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: knows about her. Papa, will you speak to the men
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: and get them to go away? She cannot breathe poor
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: thing with this crowd about her. Margaret was kneeling down
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: by missus Boucher and bathing her face with vinegar, But
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: in a few minutes she was surprised at the gush
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: of fresh air. She looked round and saw a smile
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: pass between her father and the woman. What is it,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: she asked, Only our good friend here, replied her father.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: Yet on a capital expedient for clearing the place. I
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: bidd'm begone, and each take a child with him. And
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: to mind that they were orphans and their mother a widow.
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: It was who could do most, and the childer are
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: sure of a bellyful to day, and of kindness too.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: Does who know how he died? No, said Margaret. I
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: could not tell her all at once, whom un be
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: told because of the inquest. See who's come round? Shall
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: you or I do it? Or mappen? Your father would
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: be best? No, you, you, said Margaret. They awaited her
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: perfect recovery in silence. Then the neighbor woman sat down
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: on the floor and took Missus Boucher's head and shoulders
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: on her lap. Neighbor said, she yer Man's dead. Guess yo,
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: how he died? He was drowned, said missus Boucher, feebly,
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: beginning to cry for the first time at this rough
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: probing of her sorrows. He were found drowned, He were
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: comin home, very hopeless, o aught on earth. He thought,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: God could nay be harder than man. Mappen not so hard,
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: mappen as tender as a mother, mappen tenderer. I'm not
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: sayin he did right. I'm not saying he did wrong.
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: All I say is, may neither me nor mine ever
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: have his sore heart, or we may do like things.
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: He has left me alone with a These children moaned
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: the widow, less distressed at the manner of death than
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: Margaret expected, but it was of a piece with her
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: helpless character to feel his loss as principally affecting herself
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: and her children. Not alone, said mister Hale solemnly, who
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: is with you? Who will take up your cause? The
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: widow opened her eyes wide and looked at the new speaker,
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: of whose presence she had not been aware till then,
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: who has promised to be a father to the fatherless?
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: Continued he but I've getten six children, sir, and the
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: eldest not eight years of age. I'm not meaning for
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: to doubt his power, sir, but it only needs a deal,
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: O trust, And she began to cry afresh. Who'll be
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: better able to talk tomorrow, sir, said the neighbor. Best
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: comfort now would be the feel of a child at
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: her heart. I'm sorry they took the babby. I'll go
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: for it, said Margaret, and in a few minutes she returned,
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: carrying Johnny, his face all smeared with eating, and his
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: hands loaded with treasures in the shape of shells and
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: bits of crystal and the head of a plaster figure.
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: She placed him in his mother's arms. There, said the woman.
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: Now you go, they'll cry together and comfort together better
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: nor any one but child can do. I'll stop with
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: her as long as I'm needed, and if you'll come
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: tomorrow you can have a deal. O wise, talk with
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: her that she's not up to to day. As Margaret
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: and her father went slowly up the street, she paused
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: at Higgins's closed door. Shall we go in, asked her father.
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: I was thinking of him too. They knocked. There was
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: no answer, so they tried the door. It was bolted,
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: but they thought they heard him moving within, Nicholas, said Margaret.
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: But there was no answer, and they might have gone away,
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: believing the house to be empty, if there had not
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: been some accidental fall as of a book within. Nicholas
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: said Margaret, it is only us. Won't you let us
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: come in? No, said he. I spoke as plain as
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: I could bout using words when I bolted the door.
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: Let me be this day, Mister Hale would have urged
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: their desire, but Margaret placed her finger on her lips.
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: I don't wonder at it, said she. I myself longed
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: to be alone. It seems the only thing to do
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: one good after a day like this. End of Chapter
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: thirty six.