Then
he smiled at his foolish thought, yet instantly wondered if it might not
be true, and thus fantastically reasoning, he came to the big gates of
the Hall, and saw his mother watching for his arrival.
He took her hands and kissed her tenderly. "O mother! Mother!" he cried.
"How glad I am to see you!"
"To be sure, my dear lad. But if I had not got your note this morning, I
would have known by the sound of your horse's feet he was bringing John
home, for your riding was like that of Jehu, the son of Nimshi. But
there! Come thy ways in, and tell me what has happened thee, here and
there."
They talked first of the coming war, and John advised his mother to
prepare for it. "It will be a war between two rich and stubborn
factions," he said. "It is likely enough to last for years. I may have
to shut Hatton mill."
"Shut it while you have a bit of money behind it, John. I heard Arkroyd
had told his hands he would lock his gates at the end of the month."
"I shall keep Hatton mill going, mother, as long as I have money enough
to buy a bale of cotton at any price.
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