"I have telled yo"," said Higgins, a little surprised at Mr. Hale"s agitation.
"I would na ask for work for mysel"; but them"s left as a charge on me. Ireckon, I would ha guided Boucher to a better end; but I set him off o"
th" road, and so I mun answer for him."
Mr. Hale got hold of Higgins"s hand and shook it heartily, withoutspeaking. Higgins looked awkward and ashamed.
"Theer, theer, master! Theer"s ne"er a man, to call a man, amongst us, butwhat would do th" same; ay, and better too; for, belie" me, I"se ne"er got astroke o" work, nor yet a sight of any. For all I telled Hamper that, letalone his pledge--which I would not sign--no, I could na, not e"en forthis--he"d ne"er ha" such a worker on his mill as I would be--he"d ha"
none o" me--no more would none o" th" others. I"m a poor black fecklesssheep--childer may clem for aught I can do, unless, parson, yo"d helpme?"
"Help you! How? I would do anything,--but what can I do?"
"Miss there"--for Margaret had re-entered the room, and stood silent,listening--"has often talked grand o" the South, and the ways down there.
Now I dunnot know how far off it is, but I"ve been thinking if I couldget "em down theer, where food is cheap and wages good, and all thefolk, rich and poor, master and man, friendly like; yo" could, may be,help me to work. I"m not forty-five, and I"ve a deal o" strength in me,measter."
"But what kind of work could you do, my man?"
"Well, I reckon I could spade a bit----"
"And for that," said Margaret, stepping forwards, "for anything you coulddo, Higgins, with the best will in the world, you would, may be, getnine shillings a week; may be ten, at the outside. Food is much the sameas here, except that you might have a little garden----"
"The childer could work at that," said he. "I"m sick o" Milton anyways,and Milton is sick o" me."
"You must not go to the South," said Margaret, "for all that. You couldnot stand it. You would have to be out all weathers. It would kill youwith rheumatism. The mere bodily work at your time of life wouldbreak you down. The fare is far different to what you have beenaccustomed to."
"I"se nought particular about my meat," said he, as if offended.
"But you"ve reckoned on having butcher"s meat once a day, if you"re inwork; pay for that out of your ten shillings, and keep those poorchildren if you can. I owe it to you--since it"s my way of talking that hasset you off on this idea--to put it all clear before you. You would notbear the dulness of the life; you don"t know what it is; it would eat youaway like rust. Those that have lived there all their lives, are used tosoaking in the stagnant waters. They labour on, from day to day, in thegreat solitude of steaming fields--never speaking or lifting up theirpoor, bent, downcast heads. The hard spade-work robs their brain oflife; the sameness of their toil deadens their imagination; they don"t careto meet to talk over thoughts and speculations, even of the weakest,wildest kind, after their work is done; they go home brutishly tired, poorcreatures! caring for nothing but food and rest. You could not stir themup into any companionship, which you get in a town as plentiful as theair you breathe, whether it be good or bad--and that I don"t know; but Ido know, that you of all men are not one to bear a life among suchlabourers. What would be peace to them would be eternal fretting toyou. Think no more of it, Nicholas, I beg. Besides, you could never payto get mother and children all there--that"s one good thing."
"I"ve reckoned for that. One house mun do for us a", and the furniture o"
t"other would go a good way. And men theer mun have their families tokeep--mappen six or seven childer. God help "em!" said he, moreconvinced by his own presentation of the facts than by all Margaret hadsaid, and suddenly renouncing the idea, which had but recently formeditself in a brain worn out by the day"s fatigue and anxiety. "God help"em! North an" South have each getten their own troubles. If work"s sureand steady theer, labour"s paid at starvation prices; while here we"nrucks o" money coming in one quarter, and ne"er a farthing th" next. Forsure, th" world is in a confusion that passes me or any other man tounderstand; it needs fettling, and who"s to fettle it, if it"s as yon folkssay, and there"s nought but what we see?"
