by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XII.
AFTER THE STRIKE.
"Well, Jack, so you're back again," Nelly Hardy said as she met JackSimpson on his way home from work on the first day after his return.
"Ay, Nelly, and glad to see you. How have things gone on?" and he noddedtowards her home.
"Better than I ever knew them," the girl said. "When father could notafford to buy drink we had better times than I have ever known. It was athousand times better to starve than as 'twas before. He's laid upstill; you nigh scalded him to death, Jack, and I doubt he'll never befit for work again."
"I," Jack exclaimed, astounded, for he believed that the secret wasknown only to his mother, Harry, John Ratcliffe, Mr. Merton and perhapsthe schoolmaster's daughter.
"Has Harry--"
"No, Harry has not said a word. Oh, Jack, I didn't think it of you. Youcall me a friend and keep this a secret, you let Harry know it and saynowt to me. I did not think it of you," and the dark eyes filled withtears.
"But if Harry did not tell you, how--"
"As if I wanted telling," she said indignantly. "Who would have dared doit but you? Didn't I know you were here an hour or two before, and youthink I needed telling who it was as faced all the pitmen? and to thinkyou hid it from me! Didn't you think I could be trusted? couldn't I havegone to fetch the redcoats for you? couldn't I have sat by you in theengine-house, and waited and held your hand when you stood against themall? oh, Jack!" and for the first time since their friendship had beenpledged, nearly four years before, Jack saw Nelly burst into tears.
"I didn't mean unkind, Nell, I didn't, indeed, and if I had wantedanother messenger I would have come to you. Don't I know you are as trueas steel? Come, lass, don't take on. I would have sent thee instead o'Harry only I thought he could run fastest. Girls' wind ain't as good aslads'."
"And you didn't doubt I'd do it, Jack?"
"Not for a moment," Jack said. "I would have trusted thee as much asHarry."
"Well then, I forgive you, Jack, but if ever you get in danger again,and doant let me know, I'll never speak a word to you again."
In the years which had passed since this friendship began Nelly Hardyhad greatly changed. The companionship of two quiet lads like Jack andHarry had tamed her down, and her love of reading and her study of allthe books on history and travel on Jack's book-shelves had softened herspeech. When alone the three spoke with but little of the dialect of theplace, Jack having insisted on improvement in this respect. With Nellyhis task had been easy, for she was an apt pupil, but Harry stillretained some of his roughness of speech.
Nelly was fifteen now, and was nearly as tall as Jack, who was squareand somewhat stout for his age. With these two friends Jack would talksometimes of his hopes of rising and making a way for himself. Harry,who believed devoutly in his friend, entered most warmly into his hopes,but Nelly on this subject alone was not sympathetic.
"You don't say anything," Jack remarked one day; "do you think mycastles in the air will never come true?"
"I know they will come true, Jack," she said earnestly; "but don't askme to be glad. I can't; I try to but I can't. It's selfish, but, but--"and her voice quivered. "Every step thou takest will carry you fartherup from me, and I can't be glad on it, Jack!"
"Nonsense, Nelly," Jack said angrily, "dos't think so little of me as tothink that I shall not be as true to my two friends, Harry and you, as Iam now?"
The girl shook her head.
"You will try, Jack, you will try. Don't think I doubt you, but--" andturning round she fled away at full speed.
"I believe she ran away because she was going to cry," Harry said."Lasses are strange things, and though in some things Nell's half a lad,yet she's soft you see on some points. Curious, isn't it, Jack?"
"Very curious," Jack said; "I thought I understood Nell as well as I didyou or myself, but I begin to think I doant understand her as much as Ithought. It comes of her being a lass, of course, but it's queer too,"and Jack shook his head over the mysterious nature of lasses. "You can'tunderstand 'em," he went on again, thoughtfully. "Now, if you wantedsome clothes, Harry, and you were out of work, I should just buy you aset as a matter of course, and you'd take 'em the same. It would be onlynatural like friends, wouldn't it?"
Harry assented.
"Now, I've been wanting to give Nelly a gown, and a jacket, and hat forthe last two years. I want her to look nice, and hold her own with theother lasses of the place--she's as good looking as any--but I daren'tdo it. No, I daren't, downright. I know, as well as if I see it, howshe'd flash up, and how angry she'd be."
"Why should she?" Harry asked.
"That's what I doan't know, lad, but I know she would be. I suppose itcomes of her being a lass, but it beats me altogether. Why shouldn'tshe take it? other lasses take presents from their lads, why shouldn'tNell take one from her friend? But she wouldn't, I'd bet my life shewouldn't, and she wouldn't say, 'No, and thank you,' but she'd treat itas if I'd insulted her. No, it can't be done, lad; but it's a pity, forI should ha' liked to see her look nice for once."
Not satisfied with his inability to solve the question Jack took hismother into his confidence.
Jane Haden smiled.
"Noa, Jack, I don't think as how thou canst give Nell Hardy a dress. Sheis a good quiet girl and keeps herself respectable, which, taking intoaccount them she comes from, is a credit to her, but I don't think thoucould'st gi' her a gown."
"But why not, mother?" Jack persisted. "I might gi' her a pair o'earrings or a brooch, I suppose, which would cost as much as the gown."
"Yes, thou might'st do that, Jack."
"Then if she could take the thing which would be no manner o' use toher, why couldn't she take the thing that would?"
"I doant know as I can rightly tell you, Jack, but there's adifference."
"But can't you tell me what is the difference?" Jack insisted.
"Noa, Jack, I can't, but there be a difference."
Jack seized his candle with a cry of despair, and ran upstairs. He hadsolved many a tough problem, but this was beyond him altogether. He wasnot, however, accustomed to be baffled, and the next day he renewed thesubject, this time to Nelly herself.
"Look here, Nell," he said, "I want to ask you a question. It is asupposition, you know, only a supposition, but it bothers me."
"What is it, Jack?" she said, looking up from the ground, upon which aswas her custom she was sitting with a book while Jack sat on a gate.
"If I was to offer you a pair of gold earrings."
"I wouldn't take 'em," the girl said rising, "you know I wouldn't, Jack;you know I never take presents from you."
"I know, lass, I know. We'll suppose you wouldn't take it, but youwouldn't be angered, would you?"
"I should be angered that you had spent money foolishly," the girl saidafter a pause, "when you knew I shouldn't take it, but I couldn't beangered any other way."
"Well, but if I were to buy you a hat and a jacket and a gown."
"You dare not," the girl said passionately, her face flushed scarlet;"you dare not, Jack."
"No," Jack said consciously, "I know I dare not, though I should liketo; but why don't I dare?"
"Because it would be an insult, a gross insult, Jack, and you dare notinsult me."
"No lass, I darena; but why should it be an insult? that's what I cannamake out; why wouldn't it be an insult to offer you a gold brooch worththree or four pounds, and yet be an insult to offer you the otherthings? what's the difference?"
Nelly had calmed down now when she saw that the question was ahypothetical one, and that Jack had not, as she at first supposed,bought clothes for her.
She thought for some time. "I suppose, Jack, the difference is this.It's the duty of a girl's father and mother to buy fit clothes for her,and if they don't it's either their fault, or it's because they are toopoor. So to give clothes is an interference and a sort of reproach. Abrooch is not necessary; it's a pretty ornament, and so a lad may giveit to his lass wi'out sham
e."
"Yes, I suppose it must be that," Jack said thoughtfully. "I'm glad I'vegot some sort of answer."