"Never!" said Mr. Hale, decidedly. "My one great change has been madeand my price of suffering paid. Here I stay out my life; and here will Ibe buried, and lost in the crowd."
"I don"t give up my plan yet. Only I won"t bait you with it any more justnow. Where"s the Pearl? Come, Margaret, give me a farewell kiss; andremember, my dear, where you may find a true friend, as far as hiscapability goes. You are my child, Margaret. Remember that, and "Godbless you!"
So they fell back into the monotony of the quiet life they wouldhenceforth lead. There was no invalid to hope and fear about; even theHigginses--so long a vivid interest--seemed to have receded from anyneed of immediate thought. The Boucher children, left motherlessorphans, claimed what of Margaret"s care she could bestow; and shewent pretty often to see Mary Higgins, who had charge of them. Thetwo families were living in one house: the elder children were athumble schools, the younger ones were tended, in Mary"s absence at herwork, by the kind neighbour whose good sense had struck Margaret atthe time of Boucher"s death. Of course she was paid for her trouble; andindeed, in all his little plans and arrangements for these orphan children,Nicholas showed a sober judgment, and regulated method of thinking,which were at variance with his former more eccentric jerks of action.
He was so steady at his work, that Margaret did not often see himduring these winter months; but when she did, she saw that he wincedaway from any reference to the father of those children, whom he hadso fully and heartily taken under his care. He did not speak easily of Mr.
Thornton.
"To tell the truth," said he, "he fairly bamboozles me. He"s two chaps.
One chap I knowed of old as were measter all o"er. T"other chap hasn"tan ounce of measter"s flesh about him. How them two chaps is bound upin one body, is a craddy for me to find out. I"ll not be beat by it, though.
Meanwhile he comes here pretty often; that"s how I know the chap that"sa man, not a measter. And I reckon he"s taken aback by me pretty muchas I am by him; for he sits and listens and stares, as if I were somestrange beast newly caught in some of the zones. But I"m none daunted.
It would take a deal to daunt me in my own house, as he sees. And I tellhim some of my mind that I reckon he"d ha" been the better of hearingwhen he were a younger man."
"And does he not answer you?" asked Mr. Hale.
"Well! I"ll not say th" advantage is all on his side, for all I take credit forimproving him above a bit. Sometimes he says a rough thing or two,which is not agreeable to look at at first, but has a queer smack o" truthin it when yo" come to chew it. He"ll be coming to-night, I reckon, aboutthem childer"s schooling. He"s not satisfied wi" the make of it, and wantsfor t" examine "em."
"What are they"--began Mr. Hale; but Margaret, touching his arm,showed him her watch.
"It is nearly seven," she said. "The evenings are getting longer now.
Come, papa." She did not breathe freely till they were some distancefrom the house. Then, as she became more calm, she wished that shehad not been in so great a hurry; for, somehow, they saw Mr. Thorntonbut very seldom now; and he might have come to see Higgins, and forthe old friendship"s sake she should like to have seen him to-night.
Yes! he came very seldom, even for the dull cold purpose of lessons.
Mr. Hale was disappointed in his pupil"s lukewarmness about Greekliterature, which had but a short time ago so great an interest for him.
And now it often happened that a hurried note from Mr. Thorntonwould arrive, just at the last moment, saying that he was so muchengaged that he could not come to read with Mr. Hale that evening.
And though other pupils had taken more than his place as to time, noone was like his first scholar in Mr. Hale"s heart. He was depressed andsad at this partial cessation of an intercourse which had become dear tohim; and he used to sit pondering over the reason that could haveoccasioned this change.
He startled Margaret, one evening as she sate at her work, by suddenlyasking:
"Margaret! had you ever any reason for thinking that Mr. Thorntoncared for you?"
He almost blushed as he put this question; but Mr. Bell"s scouted idearecurred to him, and the words were out of his mouth before he wellknew what he was about.
Margaret did not answer immediately; but by the bent drooping of herhead, he guessed what her reply would be.
"Yes; I believe--oh papa, I should have told you." And she dropped herwork, and hid her face in her hands.