He laughed grimly. "My lass," said he, "yo"re but a young wench, butdon"t yo" think I can keep three people--that"s Bessy, and Mary, and me-onsixteen shilling a week? Dun yo" think it"s for mysel" I"m strikingwork at this time? It"s just as much in the cause of others as yon soldier-onlym"appen, the cause he dies for is just that of somebody he neverclapt eyes on, nor heerd on all his born days, while I take up JohnBoucher"s cause, as lives next door but one, wi" a sickly wife, and eightchilder, none on "em factory age; and I don"t take up his cause only,though he"s a poor good-for-nought, as can only manage two looms at atime, but I take up th" cause o" justice. Why are we to have less wagenow, I ask, than two year ago?"
"Don"t ask me," said Margaret; "I am very ignorant. Ask some of yourmasters. Surely they will give you a reason for it. It is not merely anarbitrary decision of theirs, come to without reason."
"Yo"re just a foreigner, and nothing more," said he, contemptuously.
"Much yo" know about it. Ask th" masters! They"d tell us to mind ourown business, and they"d mind theirs. Our business being, yo"
understand, to take the bated" wage, and be thankful, and their businessto bate us down to clemming point, to swell their profits. That"s what itis."
"But said Margaret, determined not to give way, although she saw shewas irritating him, "the state of trade may be such as not to enable themto give you the same remuneration.
"State o" trade! That"s just a piece o" masters" humbug. It"s rate o" wages Iwas talking of. Th" masters keep th" state o" trade in their own hands;and just walk it forward like a black bug-a-boo, to frighten naughtychildren with into being good. I"ll tell yo" it"s their part,--their cue, assome folks call it,--to beat us down, to swell their fortunes; and it"s oursto stand up and fight hard,--not for ourselves alone, but for them roundabout us--for justice and fair play. We help to make their profits, andwe ought to help spend "em. It"s not that we want their brass so muchthis time, as we"ve done many a time afore. We"n getten money laid by;and we"re resolved to stand and fall together; not a man on us will go infor less wage than th" Union says is our due. So I say, "hooray for thestrike," and let Thornton, and Slickson, and Hamper, and their set lookto it!"
"Thornton!" said Margaret. "Mr. Thornton of Marlborough Street?"
"Aye! Thornton o" Marlborough Mill, as we call him."
"He is one of the masters you are striving with, is he not? What sort of amaster is he?"
"Did yo" ever see a bulldog? Set a bulldog on hind legs, and dress himup in coat and breeches, and yo"n just getten John Thornton."
"Nay," said Margaret, laughing, "I deny that. Mr. Thornton is plainenough, but he"s not like a bulldog, with its short broad nose, andsnarling upper lip."
"No! not in look, I grant yo". But let John Thornton get hold on a notion,and he"ll stick to it like a bulldog; yo" might pull him away wi" a pitchforkere he"d leave go. He"s worth fighting wi", is John Thornton. As forSlickson, I take it, some o" these days he"ll wheedle his men back wi"
fair promises; that they"ll just get cheated out of as soon as they"re in hispower again. He"ll work his fines well out on "em, I"ll warrant. He"s asslippery as an eel, he is. He"s like a cat,--as sleek, and cunning, andfierce. It"ll never be an honest up and down fight wi" him, as it will bewi" Thornton. Thornton"s as dour as a door-nail; an obstinate chap,every inch on him,--th" oud bulldog!"
"Poor Bessy!" said Margaret, turning round to her. "You sigh over it all.
You don"t like struggling and fighting as your father does, do you?"
"No!" said she, heavily. "I"m sick on it. I could have wished to have hadother talk about me in my latter days, than just the clashing andclanging and clattering that has wearied a" my life long, about work andwages, and masters, and hands, and knobsticks."
"Poor wench! latter days be farred! Thou"rt looking a sight better alreadyfor a little stir and change. Beside, I shall be a deal here to make it morelively for thee."
"Tobacco-smoke chokes me!" said she, querulously.
"Then I"ll never smoke no more i" th" house!" he replied, tenderly. "Butwhy didst thou not tell me afore, thou foolish wench?"
She did not speak for a while, and then so low that only Margaret heardher:
"I reckon, he"ll want a" the comfort he can get out o" either pipe or drinkafore he"s done."
Her father went out of doors, evidently to finish his pipe.
Bessy said passionately,"Now am not I a fool,--am I not, Miss?--there, I knew I ought for tokeep father at home, and away fro" the folk that are always ready for totempt a man, in time o" strike, to go drink,--and there my tongue mustneeds quarrel with this pipe o" his"n,--and he"ll go off, I know he will,-asoften as he wants to smoke--and nobody knows where it"ll end. Iwish I"d letten myself be choked first."
"But does your father drink?" asked Margaret.
"No--not to say drink," replied she, still in the same wild excited tone.