lizzie leigh-第4节

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and　so　…



〃Well！　　I'd　got　a　trace　of　my　childthe　missus　thought　she'd　gone　to

th'　workhouse　to　be　nursed；　and　there　I　wentand　there；　sure　enough；

she　had　beenand　they'd　turned　her　out　as　she　were　strong；　and　told

her　she　were　young　enough　to　workbut　whatten　kind　o'　work　would　be

open　to　her；　lad；　and　her　baby　to　keep？〃



Will　listened　to　his　mother's　tale　with　deep　sympathy；　not　unmixed

with　the　old　bitter　shame。　　But　the　opening　of　her　heart　had　unlocked

his；　and　after　awhile　he　spoke　…



〃Mother！　　I　think　I'd　e'en　better　go　home。　　Tom　can　stay　wi'　thee。　　I

know　I　should　stay　too；　but　I　cannot　stay　in　peace　so　nearher

without　craving　to　see　herSusan　Palmer；　I　mean。〃



〃Has　the　old　Mr。　Palmer　thou　telled　me　on　a　daughter？〃　asked　Mrs。

Leigh。



〃Ay；　he　has。　　And　I　love　her　above　a　bit。　　And　it's　because　I　love

her　I　want　to　leave　Manchester。　　That's　all。〃



Mrs。　Leigh　tried　to　understand　this　speech　for　some　time；　but　found

it　difficult　of　interpretation。



〃Why　shouldst　thou　not　tell　her　thou　lov'st　her？　　Thou'rt　a　likely

lad；　and　sure　o'　work。　　Thou'lt　have　Upclose　at　my　death；　and　as　for

that；　I　could　let　thee　have　it　now；　and　keep　mysel'　by　doing　a　bit　of

charring。　　It　seems　to　me　a　very　backwards　sort　o'　way　of　winning　her

to　think　of　leaving　Manchester。〃



〃Oh；　mother；　she's　so　gentle　and　so　goodshe's　downright　holy。

She's　never　known　a　touch　of　sin；　and　can　I　ask　her　to　marry　me；

knowing　what　we　do　about　Lizzie；　and　fearing　worse？　　I　doubt　if　one

like　her　could　ever　care　for　me；　but　if　she　knew　about　my　sister；　it

would　put　a　gulf　between　us；　and　she'd　shudder　up　at　the　thought　of

crossing　it。　　You　don't　know　how　good　she　is；　mother！〃



〃Will；　Will！　if　she's　so　good　as　thou　say'st；　she'll　have　pity　on

such　as　my　Lizzie。　　If　she　has　no　pity　for　such；　she's　a　cruel

Pharisee；　and　thou'rt　best　without　her。〃



But　he　only　shook　his　head；　and　sighed；　and　for　the　time　the

conversation　dropped。



But　a　new　idea　sprang　up　in　Mrs。　Leigh's　head。　　She　thought　that　she

would　go　and　see　Susan　Palmer；　and　speak　up　for　Will；　and　tell　her

the　truth　about　Lizzie；　and　according　to　her　pity　for　the　poor

sinner；　would　she　be　worthy　or　unworthy　of　him。　　She　resolved　to　go

the　very　next　afternoon；　but　without　telling　any　one　of　her　plan。

Accordingly　she　looked　out　the　Sunday　clothes　she　had　never　before

had　the　heart　to　unpack　since　she　came　to　Manchester；　but　which　she

now　desired　to　appear　in；　in　order　to　do　credit　to　Will。　　She　put　on

her　old…fashioned　black　mode　bonnet；　trimmed　with　real　lace；　her

scarlet　cloth　cloak；　which　she　had　had　ever　since　she　was　married；

and；　always　spotlessly　clean；　she　set　forth　on　her　unauthorised

embassy。　　She　knew　the　Palmers　lived　in　Crown　Street；　though　where

she　had　heard　it　she　could　not　tell；　and　modestly　asking　her　way；　she

arrived　in　the　street　about　a　quarter　to　four　o'clock。　　She　stopped

to　enquire　the　exact　number；　and　the　woman　whom　she　addressed　told

her　that　Susan　Palmer's　school　would　not　be　loosed　till　four；　and

asked　her　to　step　in　and　wait　until　then　at　her　house。



〃For；〃　said　she；　smiling；　〃them　that　wants　Susan　Palmer　wants　a　kind

friend　of　ours；　so　we；　in　a　manner；　call　cousins。　　Sit　down；　missus；

sit　down。　　I'll　wipe　the　chair；　so　that　it　shanna　dirty　your　cloak。

My　mother　used　to　wear　them　bright　cloaks；　and　they're　right　gradely

things　again　a　green　field。〃



〃Han　ye　known　Susan　Palmer　long？〃　asked　Mrs。　Leigh；　pleased　with　the

admiration　of　her　cloak。



〃Ever　since　they　comed　to　live　in　our　street。　　Our　Sally　goes　to　her

school。〃



〃Whatten　sort　of　a　lass　is　she；　for　I　ha'　never　seen　her？〃



〃Well；　as　for　looks；　I　cannot　say。　　It's　so　long　since　I　first　knowed

her；　that　I've　clean　forgotten　what　I　thought　of　her　then。　　My　master

says　he　never　saw　such　a　smile　for　gladdening　the　heart。　　But　maybe

it's　not　looks　you're　asking　about。　　The　best　thing　I　can　say　of　her

looks　is；　that　she's　just　one　a　stranger　would　stop　in　the　street　to

ask　help　from　if　he　needed　it。　　All　the　little　childer　creeps　as

close　as　they　can　to　her；　she'll　have　as　many　as　three　or　four

hanging　to　her　apron　all　at　once。〃



〃Is　she　cocket　at　all？〃



〃Cocket；　bless　you！　you　never　saw　a　creature　less　set　up　in　all　your

life。　　Her　father's　cocket　enough。　　No！　she's　not　cocket　any　way。

You've　not　heard　much　of　Susan　Palmer；　I　reckon；　if　you　think　she's

cocket。　　She's　just　one　to　come　quietly　in；　and　do　the　very　thing

most　wanted；　little　things；　maybe；　that　any　one　could　do；　but　that

few　would　think　on；　for　another。　　She'll　bring　her　thimble　wi'　her；

and　mend　up　after　the　childer　o'　nights；　and　she　writes　all　Betty

Harker's　letters　to　her　grandchild　out　at　service；　and　she's　in

nobody's　way；　and　that's　a　great　matter；　I　take　it。　　Here's　the

childer　running　past！　　School　is　loosed。　　You'll　find　her　now；

missus；　ready　to　hear　and　to　help。　　But　we　none　on　us　frab　her　by

going　near　her　in　school…time。〃



Poor　Mrs。　Leigh's　heart　began　to　beat；　and　she　could　almost　have

turned　round　and　gone　home　again。　　Her　country　breeding　had　made　her

shy　of　strangers；　and　this　Susan　Palmer　appeared　to　her　like　a　real

born　lady　by　all　accounts。　　So　she　knocked　with　a　timid　feeling　at

the　indicated　door；　and　when　it　was　opened；　dropped　a　simple　curtsey

without　speaking。　　Susan　had　her　little　niece　in　her　arms；　curled　up

with　fond　endearment　against　her　breast；　but　she　put　her　gently　down

to　the　ground；　and　instantly　placed　a　chair　in　the　best　corner　of　the

room　for　Mrs。　Leigh；　when　she　told　her　who　she　was。　　〃It's　not　Will

as　has　asked　me　to　come；〃　said　the　mother；　apologetically；　〃I'd　a

wish　just　to　speak　to　you　myself！〃



Susan　coloured　up　to　her　temples；　and　stooped　to　pick　up　the　little

toddling　girl。　　In　a　minute　or　two　Mrs。　Leigh　began　again。



〃Will　thinks　you　would　na　respect　us　if　you　knew　all；　but　I　think　you

could　na　help　feeling　for　us　in　the　sorrow　God　has　put　upon　us；　so　I

just　put　on　my　bonnet；　and　came　off　unknownst　to　the　lads。　　Every　one

says　you're　very　good；　and　that　the　Lord　has　keeped　you　from　falling

from　His　ways；　but　maybe　you've　never　yet　been　tried　and　tempted　as

some　is。　　I'm　perhaps　speaking　too　plain；　but　my　heart's　welly

broken；　and　I　can't　be　choice　in　my　words　as　them　who　are　happy　can。

Well　now！　　I'll　tell　you　the　truth。　　Will　dreads　you　to　hear　it；　but

I'll　just　tell　it　you。　　You　mun　know〃　but　here　the　poor　woman's

words　failed　her；　and　she　could　do　nothing　but　sit　rocking　herself

backwards　and　forwards；　with　sad　eyes；　straight…gazing　into　Susan's

face；　as　if　they　tried　to　tell　the　tale　of　agony　which　the　quivering

lips　refused　to　utter。　　Those　wretched；　stony　eyes　forced　the　tears

down　Susan's　cheeks；　and；　as　if　this　sympathy　gave　the　mother

strength；　she　went　on　in　a　low　voice〃I　had　a　daughter　once；　my

heart's　darling。　　Her　father　thought　I　made　too　much　on　her；　and　that

she'd　grow　marred　staying　at　home；　so　he　said　she　mun　go　among

strangers　and　learn　to　rough　it。　　She　were　young；　and　liked　the

thought　of　seeing　a　bit　of　the　world；　and　her　father　heard　on　a　place

in　Manchester。　　Well！　　I'll　not　weary　you。　　That　poor　girl　were　led

astray；　and　first　thing　we　heard　on　it；　was　when　a　letter　of　her

father's　was　sent　back　by　her　missus；　saying　she'd　left　her　place；

or；　to　speak　right；　the　master　had　turned　her　into　the　street　soon　as

he　had　heard　of　her　conditionand　she　not　seventeen！〃



She　now　cried　aloud；　and　Susan　wept　too。　　The　little　child　looked　up

into　their　faces；　and；　catching　their　sorrow；　began　to　whimper　and

wail。　　Susan　took　it　softly　up；　and　hiding　her　face　in　its　little

neck；　tried　to　restrain　her　tears；　and　think　of　comfort　for　the

mother。　　At　last　she　said　…



〃Where　is　she　now？〃



〃Lass！　　I　dunnot　know；〃　said　Mrs。　Leigh；　checking　her　sobs　to

communicate　this　addition　to　her　distress。　　〃Mrs。　Lomax　telled　me　she

went〃



〃Mrs。　Lomaxwhat　Mrs。　Lomax？〃



〃Her　as　lives　in　Brabazon　Street。　　She　telled　me　my　poor　wench　went

to　the　workhouse　fra　there。　　I'll　not　speak　again　the　dead；　but　if

her　father　would　but　ha'　letten　mebut　he　were　one　who　had　no

notionno；　I'll　not　say　that；　best　say　nought。　　He　forgave　her　on

his　death…bed。　　I　daresay　I　did　na　go　th'　right　way　to　work。〃



〃Will　you　hold　the　child　for　me　one　instant？〃　said　Susan。



〃Ay；　if　it　will　come　to　me。　　Childer　used　to　be　fond　on　me　till　I　got

the　sad　look　on　my　face　that　scares　them；　I　think。〃



But　the　little　girl　clung　to　Susan；　so　she　carried　it　upstairs　with

her。　　Mrs。　Leigh　sat　by　herselfhow　long　she　did　not　know。



Susan　came　down　with　a　bundle　of　far…worn　baby…clothes。



〃You　must　listen　to　me　a　bit；　and　not　think　too　much　about　what　I'm

going　to　tell　you。　　Nanny　is　not　my　niece；　nor　any　kin　to　me；　that　I

know　of。　　I　used　to　go　out　working　by　the　day。　　One　night；　as　I　came

home；　I　thought　some　woman　was　following　me；　I　turned　to　look。　　The

woman；　before　I　cou