第83章

haveseenmyopponent’schest，inalonghardboutofwrestling。Formypart，Icoulddonomorethanholdmytongueandlookathim。

Withoutanotherwordwerosetothelevelofthemoorsandmires；neitherwouldMasterCarfaxspeak，asIledhimacrossthebarrows。Inthishewaswelcometohisownway，forIdolovesilence；solittleharmcancomeofit。AndthoughGwennywasnobeauty，herfathermightbefondofher。

SoIputhiminthecow-house(nottofrightenthelittlemaid)，andthefoldingshuttersoverhim，suchasweusedatthebeestings；andhelistenedtomyvoiceoutside，andheldon，andpreservedhimself。Fornowhewouldhavescoopedtheearth，ascattledoatyearning-time，andasmeeklyandaspatiently，tohavehischildrestoredtohim。Nottomakelongtaleofit——forthisthingisbeyondme，throughwantoftrueexperience——IwentandfetchedhisGwennyforthfromthebackkitchen，whereshewasfighting，asusual，withourBetty。

’Comealong，youlittleVick，’Isaid，forsowecalledher；’Ihaveamessagetoyou，Gwenny，fromtheLordinheaven。’

’Don’t’eetalkaboutHe，’sheanswered；’Herhavelongforgattenme。’

’ThatHehasneverdone，youstupid。Come，andseewhoisinthecowhouse。’

Gwennyknew；sheknewinamoment。Lookingintomyeyes，sheknew；andhangingbackfrommetosigh，sheknewitevenbetter。

Shehadnotmucheleganceofemotion，beingflatandsquareallover；butnonethelessforthatherheartcamequick，andherwordscameslowly。

’Oh，Jan，youaretoogoodtocheatme。Isitjokeyouareputtinguponme？’

Iansweredherwithagazealone；andshetuckedupherclothesandfollowedmebecausetheroadwasdirty。

ThenIopenedthedoorjustwideenoughforthechildtotogoherfather，andleftthosetwotohaveitout，asmightbemostnatural。Andtheytookalongtimeaboutit。

MeanwhileIneedsmustgoandtellmyLornaallthematter；andherjoywasalmostasgreatasifsheherselfhadfoundafather。Andthewonderofthewholewasthis，thatIgotallthecredit；ofwhichnotathousandthpartbelongedbyrightandreasontome。

Yetsoitalmostalwaysis。IfIworkforgooddesert，andslave，andlieawakeatnight，andspendmyunbornlifeindreams，notablink，norwink，norinklingofmylabourevertells。Itwouldhavebeenbettertoleaveunburned，andtokeepundevoured，thefuelandthefoodoflife。ButifIhavelabourednot，onlyactedbysomeimpulse，whim，caprice，oranything；orevenactingnotatall，onlylettingthingsfloatby；

pileduponmecommendations，bravoes，andapplauses，almostworkmeuptotemptonceagain(thoughsickofit)theillluckofdeserving。

Withoutintendinganyharm，andmeaningonlygoodindeed，IhadnowdoneseriouswrongtoUncleReuben’sprospects。ForCaptainCarfaxwasfullasangryatthetrickplayedonhimashewashappyindiscoveringthefalsehoodandthefraudofit。NorcouldIhelpagreeingwithhim，whenhetoldmeallofit，aswithtearsinhiseyeshedid，andreadytobemyslavehenceforth；Icouldnotforbearfromowningthatitwasalowandheartlesstrick，unworthyofmenwhohadfamilies；andtherecoilwhereofwaswelldeserved，whateveritmightendin。

Forwhenthispoormanlefthisdaughter，asleepashesupposed，andhavinghisfood，andchangeofclothes，andSundayhattoseeto，hemeanttoreturninanhourorso，andsettleabouthersustenanceinsomehouseoftheneighbourhood。Butthiswastheverythingofallthingswhichtheleadersoftheenterprise，whohadbroughthimupfromCornwall，forhisnotedskillinmetals，weredetermined，whetherbyfairmeansorfoul，tostopattheveryoutset。Secrecybeingtheirmainobject，whatchancecouldtherebeofit，iftheminerswereallowedtokeeptheirchildrenintheneighbourhood？Hence，onthepleaoffeastingSimon，theykepthimdrunkforthreedaysandthreenights，assuringhim(wheneverhehadgleamsenoughtoaskforher)thathisdaughterwasaswellascouldbe，andenjoyingherselfwiththechildren。Notwishingthemaidtoseehimtipsy，hepressedthematternofurther；butappliedhimselftothebottleagain，anddrankherhealthwithpleasure。

However，afterthreedaysofthis，hisconstitutionroseagainstit，andhebecamequitesober；withacertainlownessofheartmoreover，andasenseoferror。Andhisfirstdesiretorighthimself，andeasiestwaytodoit，wasbyexertingparentalauthorityuponGwenny。Possessedwiththisintention(for