I doant really want to go, Antony.
But I cannot do without thee. Thou wilt hev to go, and there is Katherine, too! Ten to one, she will need a bit of looking after.
When art thou going to start?
Not for a month. I must see to the sowing of the land the land feeds us. I thought, though, it would be right to give thee the bit o change and pleasure to think about and talk about.
Where does thou intend to stay while in London?
I am thinking of the Clarendon Hotel for thee and mysen. I suppose Katherine can be comfortable and welcome at her sisters.
Certainly she can. Jane isnt anything but kind at heart. It is just her you-shallness that makes her one-sided to live with. But Katherine can hold her own side, without help, she can that! And if thou art bound for London, then London is the place where my heart will be and we will go together.
Thou art a good wife to me, Annie.
Well, then, I promised thee to be a good wife, and Im Yorkshire enough to keep a promise good or bad. I am glad thou art going to the Clarendon. It is a pleasant house but thy sister Josepha is a bit overbearing, isnt she, Antony?
She does not overbear me. I am her eldest brother. I make her remember that. Howiver, I shall hev to listen to such a lot o strong language in the House that I must hev only thee about me when I can get away from committees, and divisions, taking of votes, and the like.
By this time the squire had filled his pipe, and seated himself in his favorite corner on that side of the hearth, that had no draughts whichever way the wind blew. Then Madam said: Ill leave thee a few minutes, Antony. I am going to tell Katherine that thou art going to take her to London.
Varry well. Ill give thee five minutes, then thou must come back here, for I hev something important to tell thee.
Katherine will want to come back here with me. She will be impatient to thank thee for thy goodness and to coax some sovereigns in advance for a new dress and the few traveling things women need when they are on the road.
Then thou hed better advise her to wait until supper time. When the days work is all done I can stand a bit of cuddling and petting and I doant mind waring a few sovereigns for things necessary. Of course, I know the little wench will be happy and full o what she is going to see, and to do, and to hear. Yet, Annie, I hev some important thoughts in my mind now and I want thy help in coming to their settlement.
Antony Annis! I am astonished at thee, I am that! When did thou ever need or take advice about thy awn business? Thou hes sense for all that can be put up against thy opinion, without asking advice from man or woman specially woman.
That may be so, Annie, perhaps it is so, but thou art different. Thou art like mysen and its only prudent and kind to talk changes over together. For thou hes to share the good or the bad o them, so it is only right thou should hev time to prepare for whatever they promise. Sit thee down beside me. Now, then, this is what happened just as soon as I hed gotten my money and I can assure thee, that a thousand pounds in a mans pocket is a big set up I felt all my six feet four inches and a bit more, too well, as I was going past the Green to hev a talk wi Jonathan Hartley, I saw Mr. Foster come to his door and stand there. As he was bare-headed, I knew he was waiting to speak to me. I hev liked the mans face and ways iver since he came to the village, and when he offered his hand and asked me to come in I couldnt resist the kindness and goodness of it.
Thou went into the preachers house?
I surely did, and I am glad of it. I think a deal o good may come from the visit.
Did thou see his daughter?
I did and I tell thee she is summat to see.
Then she is really beautiful?
Yes, and more than that. She was sitting sewing in a plain, small parlor but she seemed to be sitting in a circle of wonderful peace. All round her the air looked clearer than in the rest of the room and something sweet and still and heavenly happy came into my soul. Then she told me all about the misery in the cottages and said it had now got beyond individual help and she was sure if thou knew it, and the curate knew it, some proper general relief could be carried out. She had began, she said, with the chapel people, but even they were now beyond her care; and she hoped thou would organize some society and guide all with thy long and intimate knowledge of the people.
What did thou say to this?
I said I knew thou would do iverything that it was possible to do. And I promised that thou would send her word when to come and talk the ways and means over with thee and a few others.
That was right.
I knew it would be right wi thee.
Katherine says that our Dick is in love wi the preachers daughter.
I wouldnt wonder, and if a man hednt already got the only perfect woman in the world for his awn you could not blame him. No, you could not blame him!
Thou must hev stayed awhile there for it is swinging close to five oclock.
Ay, but I wasnt at the preachers long. I went from his house to Jonathan Hartleys, and I smoked a pipe with him, and we hed a long talk on the situation of our weavers. Many o them are speaking of giving-in, and going to Bradleys factory, and I felt badly, and I said to Jonathan, I suppose thou is thinking of t same thing. And he looked at me, Annie, and I was hot wi shame, and I was going to tell him so, but he looked at me again, and said:
Nay, nay, squire, thou didnt mean them words, and well say nothing about them; so we nodded to each other, and I wouldnt be sure whether or not we wer not both nearer tears than wed show. Anyway, he went on as if nothing had happened, telling me about the failing spirit of the workers and saying a deal to excuse them. Ezra Dixons eldest and youngest child died yesterday and they are gathering a bit of money among the chapel folk to bury them. Then I said: Wait a minute, Jonathan, and I took out of my purse a five pound note and made him go with it to the mother and so put her heart at ease on that score. You know our poor think a parish funeral a pitiful disgrace.
Well, Antony, if that was what kept thee, thou wert well kept. Faith Foster is right. I ought to be told of such sorrow.
To be sure we both ought to know, but tha sees, Annie, my dearie, we hev been so much better off than the rest of weaving villages that the workers hev not suffered as long and as much as others. But whats the use of making excuses? I am going to a big meeting of weavers on Saturday night. It is to be held in t Methodist Chapel.
Antony! Whatever art thou saying? What will the curate say? What will all thy old friends say?
Annie, I hev got to a place where I dont care a button what they say. I hev some privileges, I hope, and taking my awn way is one o them. The curate hes been asked to lend his sanction to the meeting, and the men are betting as to whether hell do so or not. If I was a betting man I would say No!
Why?
His bishop. The bishops to a man were against the Reform Bill. Only one is said to have signed for it. That is not sure.
Then do you blame him?
Nay, Im sorry for any man, that hesnt the gumption to please his awn conscience, and take his awn way. However, his career is in the bishops hand, and hes varry much in love with Lucy Landborde.