CHAPTER VI.

ing!”hewhined,afterapause.“Ithashadnodinner,hasit?What!Isupposeitsmasterwouldnotletitcomehome.DidCrimsworthorderyoutofastbywayofpunishment,William!” “No,Mr.Hunsden.”Fortunatelyatthissulkyjuncture,tea,wasbroughtin,andIfelltouponsomebreadandbutterandcoldbeefdirectly.Havingclearedaplateful,IbecamesofarhumanizedastointimatetoMr.Hunsdenthatheneednotsittherestaring,butmightcometothetableanddoasIdid,ifheliked. “ButIdon’tlikeintheleast,”saidhe,andtherewithhesummonedtheservantbyafreshpullofthebell-rope,andintimatedadesiretohaveaglassoftoast-and-water.“Andsomemorecoal,”headded“Mr.CrimsworthshallkeepagoodfirewhileIstay.” Hisordersbeingexecuted,hewheeledhischairroundtothetable,soastobeoppositeme. “Well,”heproceeded.“Youareoutofwork,Isuppose.” “Yes,”saidIandnotdisposedtoshowthesatisfactionIfeltonthispoint,I,yieldingtothewhimofthemoment,tookupthesubjectasthoughIconsideredmyselfaggrievedratherthanbenefitedbywhathadbeendone.“Yes—thankstoyou,Iam.Crimsworthturnedmeoffataminute’snotice,owingtosomeinterferenceofyoursatapublicmeeting,Iunderstand.” “Ah!what!hementionedthat?Heobservedmesignallingthelads,didhe?WhathadhetosayabouthisfriendHunsden—anythingsweet?” “Hecalledyouatreacherousvillain.” “Oh,hehardlyknowsmeyet!I’moneofthoseshypeoplewhodon’tcomeoutallatonce,andheisonlyjustbeginningtomakemyacquaintance,buthe’llfindI’vesomegoodqualities—excellentones!TheHunsdenswerealwaysunrivalledattrackingarascaladownright,dishonourablevillainistheirnaturalprey—theycouldnotkeepoffhimwherevertheymethimyouusedthewordpragmaticaljustnow—thatwordisthepropertyofourfamilyithasbeenappliedtousfromgenerationtogenerationwehavefinenosesforabuseswescentascoundrelamileoffwearereformersborn,radicalreformersanditwasimpossibleformetoliveinthesametownwithCrimsworth,tocomeintoweeklycontactwithhim,towitnesssomeofhisconducttoyou(forwhompersonallyIcarenothingIonlyconsiderthebrutalinjusticewithwhichheviolatedyournaturalclaimtoequality)—Isayitwasimpossibleformetobethussituatedandnotfeeltheangelorthedemonofmyraceatworkwithinme.Ifollowedmyinstinct,opposedatyrant,andbrokeachain.” Nowthisspeechinterestedmemuch,bothbecauseitbroughtoutHunsden’scharacter,andbecauseitexplainedhismotivesitinterestedmesomuchthatIforgottoreplytoit,andsatsilent,ponderingoverathrongofideasithadsuggested. “Areyougratefultome?”heasked,presently. InfactIwasgrateful,oralmostso,andIbe