Reuben sprang to his feet. He was still only half awake, and he rubbed his eyes as he stared at the figure framed in the doorway. Then suddenly he pulled himself together."Do you know any thing of Holgrave's route?""How did the Election go?"
TWO:Reuben had not hitherto had much truck with politics. He had played the part of a convinced and conscientious Tory, both at home and in the public-house; and every evening his daughter Tilly had read him the paper, as Naomi had used to do. But he had never done more at an election than record his vote, he had never openly identified himself with the political[Pg 174] life of the district. Now it struck him that if he took a prominent part in this election it would do much to show his indifference to the recent catastrophe, besides giving him a certain standing as a politician, and thus bestowing glory and dignity on Odiam.
FORE:"I, ma'am?no. I want to be a gentleman."Holgrave looked contempt, and spoke defiance; but Calverley retired without seeming to heed either his looks or his words.
FORE:"As you like Tomonly mind they don't coop you up. To my mind, there is not a man in the parish safe;but things will not always go on so. Now, good father, we must be gone."
FORE:Holgrave and two others then departed from the main body, unloosed a small boat from its moorings, and, in less than five minutes, they were walking, in the twilight of a starry midsummer's night, down the rough stone pathway of Thames-street.
FORE:John Ball pressed on with the multitude; but the immediate proximity of the palace, where all was splendour and motion, was not to the liking of one who till that day had never even dreamed of such things as had now met his sight. His nerves were weak, and he felt irritated at the insolence with which the royal guards, and the pages of the nobles, drove back the populace. His body, too, was weak, and he felt exhausted with his long and fatiguing walk: slowly and sadly he at length retraced his steps to his humble dwelling in the Minories.
FORE:"Noand mark you, nor am I. It 'ud have been worse for me if I'd stayed. I'm miserable in a different way from what I was theresomehow the life's easier. I'm not happy, but I'm jolly. I'm not good, but I'm pleasant-like. It's all a change for the better. See?"
THREE:"Please your noble grace, that man lies. I found that parchment in an hostelry-yard at Gloucester, six years agoI know it by the seals; and that John Oakley told me it was an old lease of no use, and so I gave it to him."
"Yesthere's nothing for it but that. We'll go[Pg 355] down and stay at the Camber. You'll be safe with me, and I've got a little money put by."Pete was a very innocent soul. He had spoilt many a man's beauty for him, but he had never been the slave of a woman's. He had broken arms and ribs, and noses by the scoreand he had once nearly killed a man, and only just escaped being arrested for manslaughter; but he had remained through it all an innocent soul. He had always lived in the open air, always worked hard, always fought hardhis recreations had been whistling and sleep. He had never thought about sin or evil of any kind, he had never troubled about sex except as it manifested itself in the brutes he had the care of, he had never read or talked bawdry. All the energies of his nature had been poured into hard work and hard blows.He dipped his finger again, and suddenly thrust it between her lips.She went down into the kitchen, where Caro was baking suet."No, no, stewardBlack Jack is not so sick of his life as to throw himself into a furnace. There were not less than one hundred smiths and miners about him; and woe be to the man who should stir their ire."