It breaks my heart to see her. I'd
rather she had some work, but she mustn't go away from home for it.'
Sidney took a few steps in silence.
'You don't misunderstand me,' resumed the other, with suddenncss.
'You don't think as I won't trust her away from me. If she went, it
'ud be because she thinks herself a burden--as if I wouldn't
gladly live on a crust for my day's food an' spare her goin' among
strangers! You can think yourself what it 'ud be to her, Sidney. No,
no, it mustn't be nothing o' that kind. But I can't ear to see her
livin' as she does; it's no life at all. I sit with her when I get
back home at night, an' I'm glad to say she seems to find it a
pleasure to have me by her; but it's the only bit o' pleasure she
gets, an' there's all the hours whilst I'm away. You see she don't
take much to Mrs. Eagles; that ain't her sort of friend. Not as
she's got any pride left about her, poor girl don't think that. I
tell you, Sidney, she's a dear good girl to her old father. If I
could only see her a bit happier, I'd never grumble again as long as
I lived, I wouldn't!'
Is there such a thing in this world as speech that has but one
simple interpretation, one for him who utters it and for him who
hears? Honester words were never spoken than these in which Hewett
strove to represent Clara in a favourable light, and to show the
pitifulness of her situation; yet he himself was conscious that they
implied a second meaning, and Sidney was driven restlessly about the
room by his perception of the same lurking motive in their pathos.
Pages:
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583