At the figure in the worn shoes—now the very shade and ghost of shoes—rough leather leggings, common frock, and broad slouched hat, Trotty stood gazing, blind to the whole street. And at the child′s arm, clinging round its neck.
Before he merged into the darkness the traveller stopped; and looking round, and seeing Trotty standing there yet, seemed undecided whether to return or go on. After doing first the one and then the other, he came back, and Trotty went half-way to meet him.
′You can tell me, perhaps,′ said the man with a faint smile, ′and if you can I am sure you will, and I′d rather ask you than another- -where Alderman Cute lives.′
′Close at hand,′ replied Toby. ′I′ll show you his house with pleasure.′
′I was to have gone to him elsewhere to-morrow,′ said the man, accompanying Toby, ′but I′m uneasy under suspicion, and want to clear myself, and to be free to go and seek my bread—I don′t know where. So, maybe he′ll forgive my going to his house to-night.′
′It′s impossible,′ cried Toby with a start, ′that your name′s Fern!′
′Eh!′ cried the other, turning on him in astonishment.
′Fern! Will Fern!′ said Trotty.
′That′s my name,′ replied the other.
′Why then,′ said Trotty, seizing him by the arm, and looking cautiously round, ′for Heaven′s sake don′t go to him! Don′t go to him! He′ll put you down as sure as ever you were born. Here! come up this alley, and I′ll tell you what I mean. Don′t go to HIM.′
His new acquaintance looked as if he thought him mad; but he bore him company nevertheless. When they were shrouded from observation, Trotty told him what he knew, and what character he had received, and all about it.
The subject of his history listened to it with a calmness that surprised him. He did not contradict or interrupt it, once. He nodded his head now and then—more in corroboration of an old and worn-out story, it appeared, than in refutation of it; and once or twice threw back his hat, and passed his freckled hand over a brow, where every furrow he had ploughed seemed to have set its image in little. But he did no more.
′It′s true enough in the main,′ he said, ′master, I could sift grain from husk here and there, but let it be as ′tis. What odds? I have gone against his plans; to my misfortun′. I can′t help it; I should do the like to-morrow. As to character, them gentlefolks will search and search, and pry and pry, and have it as free from spot or speck in us, afore they′ll help us to a dry good word!— Well! I hope they don′t lose good opinion as easy as we do, or their lives is strict indeed, and hardly worth the keeping. For myself, master, I never took with that hand′—holding it before him—′what wasn′t my own; and never held it back from work, however hard, or poorly paid. Whoever can deny it, let him chop it off! But when work won′t maintain me like a human creetur; when my living is so bad, that I am Hungry, out of doors and in; when I see a whole working life begin that way, go on that way, and end that way, without a chance or change; then I say to the gentlefolks "Keep away from me! Let my cottage be. My doors is dark enough without your darkening of ′em more. Don′t look for me to come up into the Park to help the show when there′s a Birthday, or a fine Speechmaking, or what not. Act your Plays and Games without me, and be welcome to ′em, and enjoy ′em. We′ve nowt to do with one another.
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