put yourself in his place-第11部分

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Little　saw　at　once　it　was　another　anonymous　communication。　　But　he　was　getting　callous　to　these　missives；　and　he　even　took　it　with　a　certain　degree　of　satisfaction。　　〃Well　done；　Bramah！　　Obliged　to　send　their　venom　by　post　now。〃　　This　was　the　feeling　uppermost　in　his　mind。　　In　short；　he　opened　the　letter　with　as　much　contempt　as　anger。

But　he　had　no　sooner　read　the　foul　scrawl；　than　his　heart　died　within　him。


〃Thou's　sharp　but　not　sharp　enow。　　We　know　where　thou　goes　courting　up　hill。　　Window　is　all　glass　and　ripe　for　a　Peter　shall　blow　the　house　tatums。　　There's　the　stuff　in　Hillsbro　and　the　men　that　have　done　others　so；　and　will　do　her　job　as　wells　thine。　　Powders　a　good　servant　but　a　bad　master。

〃ONE　WHO　MEANS　DOING　WHAT　HE　SAYS。〃


At　this　diabolical　threat；　young　Little　leaned　sick　and　broken　over　the　handle　of　his　bellows。

Then　he　got　up；　and　went　to　Mr。　Cheetham；　and　said；　patiently；　〃Sir；　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　must　leave　you　this　very　day。〃

〃Don't　say　that；　Little；　don't　say　that。〃

〃Oh　it　is　with　a　heavy　heart；　sir；　and　I　shall　always　remember　your　kindness。　　But　a　man　knows　when　he　is　beat。　　And　I'm　beat　now。〃　　He　hung　his　head　in　silence　awhile。　　Then　he　said；　in　a　faint　voice；　〃This　is　what　has　done　it；　sir；〃　and　handed　him　the　letter。

Mr。　Cheetham　examined　it；　and　said；　〃I　am　not　surprised　at　your　being　taken　aback　by　this。　　But　it's　nothing　new　to　us；　we　have　all　been　threatened　in　this　form。　　Why；　the　very　last　time　I　fought　the　trades；　my　wife　was　threatened　I　should　be　brought　home　on　a　shutter；　with　my　intestines　sweeping　the　ground。　　That　was　the　purport；　only　it　was　put　vernacular　and　stronger。　　And　they　reminded　me　that　the　old　gal's　clothes　（that　is　Mrs。　Cheetham：　she　is　only　twenty…six；　and　the　prettiest　lass　in　Coventry；　and　has　a　row　of　ivories　that　would　do　your　heart　good：　now　these　Hillsborough　hags　haven't　got　a　set　of　front　teeth　among　'em；　young　or　old）。　　Well；　they　told　me　the　old　gal's　clothes　could　easily　be　spoiled；　and　her　doll's　face　and　all；　with　a　penn'orth　of　vitriol。〃

〃The　monsters！〃

〃But　it　was　all　brag。　　These　things　are　threatened　fifty　times；　for　once　they　are　done。〃

〃I　shall　not　risk　it。　　My　own　skin；　if　you　like。　　But　not　hers：　never；　Mr。　Cheetham：　oh；　never；　never！〃

〃Well；　but；〃　said　Mr。　Cheetham；　〃she　is　in　no　danger　so　long　as　you　keep　away　from　her。　　They　might　fling　one　of　their　petards　in　at　the　window；　if　you　were　there；　but　otherwise；　never；　in　this　world。　　No；　no；　Little；　they　are　not　so　bad　as　that。　　They　have　blown　up　a　whole　household；　to　get　at　the　obnoxious　party；　but　they　always　make　sure　he　is　there　first。〃

Bayne　was　appealed　to；　and　confirmed　this；　and；　with　great　difficulty；　they　prevailed　on　Little　to　remain　with　them；　until　the　Unions　should　decide；　and　to　discontinue　his　visits　to　the　house　on　the　hill　in　the　meantime。　　I　need　hardly　say　they　had　no　idea　the　house　on　the　hill　was　〃Woodbine　Villa。〃

He　left　them；　and；　sick　at　heart；　turned　away　from　Heath　Hill；　and　strolled　out　of　the　lower　part　of　the　town；　and　wandered　almost　at　random；　and　sad　as　death。

He　soon　left　the　main　road；　and　crossed　a　stile；　it　took　him　by　the　side　of　a　babbling　brook；　and　at　the　edge　of　a　picturesque　wood。　Ever　and　anon　he　came　to　a　water…wheel；　and　above　the　water…wheel　a　dam　made　originally　by　art；　but　now　looking　like　a　sweet　little　lake。　　They　were　beautiful　places；　the　wheels　and　their　attendant　works　were　old　and　rugged；　but　picturesque　and　countrified；　and　the　little　lakes　behind；　fringed　by　the　master…grinder's　garden；　were　strangely　peaceful　and　pretty。　　Here　the　vulgar　labor　of　the　grindstone　was　made　beautiful　and　incredibly　poetic。

〃Ah！〃　thought　poor　Little；　〃how　happy　a　workman　must　be　that　plies　his　trade　here　in　the　fresh　air。　　And　how　unfortunate　I　am　to　be　tied　to　a　power…wheel；　in　that　filthy　town；　instead　of　being　here；　where　Nature　turns　the　wheel；　and　the　birds　chirp　at　hand；　and　the　scene　and　the　air　are　all　purity　and　peace。〃

One　place　of　the　kind　was　particularly　charming。　　The　dam　was　larger　than　most；　and　sloping　grass　on　one　side；　cropped　short　by　the　grinder's　sheep：　on　the　other　his　strip　of　garden：　and　bushes　and　flowers　hung　over　the　edge　and　glassed　themselves　in　the　clear　water。　　Below　the　wheel；　and　at　one　side；　was　the　master…grinder's　cottage；　covered　with　creepers。

But　Henry's　mind　was　in　no　state　to　enjoy　these　beauties。　　He　envied　them；　and；　at　last；　they　oppressed　him；　and　he　turned　his　back　on　them；　and　wandered；　disconsolate；　home。

He　sat　down　on　a　stool　by　his　mother；　and　laid　his　beating　temples　on　her　knees。

〃What　is　it；　my　darling？〃　said　she　softly。

〃Well；　mother；　for　one　thing；　the　Unions　are　against　me；　and　I　see　I　shall　have　to　leave　Hillsborough；　soon　or　late。〃

〃Never　mind；　dear；　happiness　does　not　depend　upon　the　place　we　live　in；　and　oh；　Henry；　whatever　you　do；　never　quarrel　with　those　terrible　grinders　and　people。　　The　world　is　wide。　　Let　us　go　back　to　London；　the　sooner　the　better。　　I　have　long　seen　there　was　something　worrying　you。　　But　Saturday　and　Mondaythey　used　to　be　your　bright　days。〃

〃It　will　come　to　that；　I　suppose；〃　said　Henry；　evading　her　last　observation。　　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　wearily；　〃it　will　come　to　that。〃　　And　he　sighed　so　piteously　that　she　forbore　to　press　him。　　She　had　not　the　heart　to　cross…examine　her　suffering　child。

That　evening；　mother　and　son　sat　silent　by　the　fire：　Henry　had　his　own　sad　and　bitter　thoughts；　and　Mrs。　Little　was　now　brooding　over　the　words　Henry　had　spoken　in　the　afternoon；　and　presently　her　maternal　anxieties　found　a　copious　vent。　　She　related　to　him；　one　after　another；　all　the　outrages　that　had　been　perpetrated　in　Hillsborough；　while　he　was　a　child；　and　had　been；　each　in　its　turn；　the　town　talk。

It　was　a　subject　on　which；　if　her　son　had　been　older；　and　more　experienced　in　her　sex；　he　would　have　closed　her　mouth　promptly；　she　being　a　woman　whose　own　nerves　had　received　so　frightful　a　shock　by　the　manner　of　her　husband's　death。　　But；　inadvertently；　he　let　her　run　on；　till　she　told　him　how　a　poor　grinder　had　been　carried　home　to　his　wife；　blinded　and　scorched　with　gunpowder；　and　another　had　been　taken　home；　all　bleeding；　to　his　mother；　so　beaten　and　bruised　with　life…preservers；　that　he　had　laid　between　life　and　death　for　nine　days；　and　never　uttered　one　word　all　that　time；　in　reply　to　all　her　prayers　and　tears。

Now　Mrs。　Little　began　these　horrible　narratives　with　a　forced　and　unnatural　calmness；　but；　by　the　time　she　got　to　the　last；　she　had　worked　herself　up　to　a　paroxysm　of　sympathy　with　other　wretched　women　in　Hillsborough；　and　trembled　all　over；　like　one　in　an　ague；　for　herself：　and　at　last　stretched　out　her　shaking　hands；　and　screamed　to　him；　〃Oh；　Harry；　Harry；　have　pity　on　your　miserable　mother！　　Think　what　these　eyes　of　mine　have　seenbleeding　at　my　feettherethereI　see　it　now〃（her　eyes　dilated　terribly　at　the　word）〃oh；　promise　me；　for　pity's　sake；　that　thesesameeyes　shall　never　see　YOU　brought　and　laid　down　bleeding　like　HIM！〃　　With　this　she　went　into　violent　hysterics；　and　frightened　her　son　more　than　all　the　ruffians　in　the　town　had　ever　frightened　him。

She　was　a　long　time　in　this　pitiable　condition；　and　he　nursed　her：　but　at　last　her　convulsion　ceased；　and　her　head　rested　on　her　son's　shoulder　in　a　pitiable　languor。

Henry　was　always　a　good　son：　but　he　never　loved　his　mother　so　tenderly　as　he　did　this　night。　　His　heart　yearned　over　this　poor　panting　soul；　so　stately　in　form；　yet　so　weak；　so　womanly；　and　lovable；　his　playmate　in　childhood；　his　sweet　preceptor　in　boyhood；　the　best　friend　and　most　unselfish　lover　he　had；　or　could　ever　hope　to　have；　on　earth；　dear　to　him　by　her　long　life　of　loving　sacrifice；　and　sacred　by　that　their　great　calamity；　which　had　fallen　so　much　heavier　on　her　than　on　him。

He　soothed　her；　he　fondled　her；　he　kneeled　at　her　feet；　and　promised　her　most　faithfully　he　would　never　be　brought　home　to　her　bruised　or　bleeding。　　No；　if　the　Unions　rejected　his　offer　he　would　go　back　to　London　with　her　at　once。

And　so；　thrust　from　Hillsborough　by　the　trades；　and　by　his　fears　for　Miss　Carden；　and　also　drawn　from　it　by　his　mother's　terrors；　he　felt　himself　a　feather　on　the　stream　of　Destiny；　and　left　off　struggling：　beaten；　heart…sick；　and　benumbed；　he　let　the　current　carry　him　like　any　other　dead　thing　that　drifts。

He　still　plied　the　hammer；　but　in　a　dead…alive　way。

He　wrote　a　few　cold　lines　to　Mr。　Jobson；　to　say　that　he　thought　it　was　time　for　a　plain　answer　to　be　given　to　a　business　proposal。　But；　as　he　had　no　great　hope　the　reply　would　be　favorable；　he　awaited　it　in　a　state　bordering　on　apathy。　　And　so　passed　a　miserable　week。

And　all　this　time　she；　for　whose　sake　he　denied　himself　the　joy　and　consolation　of　her　company；　though　his　heart　ached　and　pined　for　it；　had　hard　thoughts　of　him；　and　vented　them　too　to　Jael　Dence。

The　young　are　so　hasty　in　all　their　judgments。

While　matters　were　in　this　condition；　Henry　found；　one　morning；　two　fresh　panes　of　glass　broken　in　his　window。

In　these　hardware　works　the　windows　seldom　or　never　open：　air　is　procured　in　all　the　rooms　by　the　primitive　method　of　breaking　a　pane　here　and　a　pane　there；　and　the　general　effect　is　as　unsightly　as　a　human　mouth　where　teeth　and　holes　alternate。　　The　incident　therefore　was　nothing；　if　it　had　occurred　in　any　other　room；　but　it　was　not　a　thing　to　pass　over　in　this　room；　secured　by　a　Bramah　lock；　the　key　of　which　was　in　Henry's　pocket：　the　panes　must　have　been　broken　from　the　outside。　　It　occurred　to　him　directly　that　a　stone　had　been　thrown　in　with　another　threatening　scrawl。

But；　casting　his　eye　all　round；　he　saw　nothing　of　the　kind　about。

Then；　for　a　moment；　a　graver　suspicion　crossed　his　mind：　might　not　some　detonating　substance　of　a　nature　to　explode　when　trodden　upon；　have　been　flung　in？　　Hillsborough　excelled　in　deviltries　of　this　kind。

Henry　thought　of　his　mother；　and　would　not　treat　the　matter　lightly　or　unsuspiciously。　　He　stood　still　till　he　had　lighted　a　lucifer　match；　and　examined　the　floor　of　his　room。　　Nothing。

He　lighted　a　candle；　and　examined　all　the　premises。　　Nothing。

But；　when　he　brought　his　candle　to　the　window；　he　made　a　discovery：　the　window　had　two　vertical　iron　uprights；　abo