The house, "the great house on the hill," as Jack had described it when speaking to his artist friend Pastor3 years before, was a far larger and more important building than the houses of managers of mines in general. It had, indeed, been originally the residence of a family owning a good deal of land in the neigh[Pg 290]bourhood, but they, when coal was discovered and work began, sold this property and went to live in London, and as none cared to take a house so close to the coal-pits and village of Stokebridge, it was sold for a nominal5 sum to the owner of the Vaughan, and was by him used as a residence for his manager.
Now, with the garden nicely laid out, redecorated and repaired outside and in, and handsomely furnished, it resumed its former appearance of a gentleman's country seat. Mr. Brook begged Jack as a favour not to go near the house until the place was put in order, and although the young man heard that a Birmingham contractor6 had taken it in hand, and that a large number of men were at work there, he had no idea of the extensive changes which were taking place.
A few days before work began again at the Vaughan Jack went down as usual to the Hadens', for he had looked in every day to say a few words to them on his way back from the pit-mouth. "Now, dad," he said, "we must not put the matter off any longer. I am to go into the manager's house in a fortnight's time. I hear they have been painting and cleaning it up, and Mr. Brook tells me he has put new furniture in, and that I shall only have to go in and hang up my hat. Now I want for you to arrange to come up on the same day."
"We ha' been talking the matter over in every mortal way, the old woman and me, Jack, and I'll tell 'ee what we've aboot concluded. On one side thou really wan't t' have us oop wi' 'ee."
[Pg 291]
"Yes, indeed, dad," Jack said earnestly.
"I know thou dost, lad; me and Jane both feels that. Well that's an argiment that way. Then there's the argiment that naturally thou would'st not like the man who hast brought thee oop to be working in the pit o' which thou wast manager. That's two reasons that way; on the other side there be two, and the old 'ooman and me think they are stronger than t'others. First, we should be out o' place at the house oop there. Thou wilt7 be getting to know all kinds o' people, and whatever thou may'st say, Jack, your mother and me would be oot o' place. That's one argiment. The next argiment is that we shouldn't like it, Jack, we should feel we were out o' place and that our ways were out o' place; and we should be joost miserable8. Instead o' doing us a kindness you'd joost make our lives a burden, and I know 'ee don't want to do that. We's getting on in loife and be too old to change our ways, and nothing thou could'st say could persuade us to live a'ways dressed up in our Sunday clothes in your house."
"Well, dad, I might put you both in a comfortable cottage, without work to do."
"What should I do wi'out my work, Jack? noa, lad, I must work as long as I can, or I should die o' pure idleness. But I needn't work at a stall. I'm fifty now, and although I ha' got another fifteen years' work in me, I hope, my bones bean't as liss as they was. Thou might give me the job as underground viewer. I can put in a prop4 or see to the firing o' a shot wi' any [Pg 292]man. Oi've told my mates you want to have me and the old woman oop at th' house, and they'll know that if I stop underground it be o' my own choice. I know, lad, it wouldn't be roight for me to be a getting droonk at the "Chequers" and thou manager; but I ha' told t' old 'ooman that I will swear off liquor altogether."
"No, no, dad!" Jack said, affected9 at this proof of Bill Haden's desire to do what he could towards maintaining his dignity. "I wouldn't think o't. If you and mother feel that you'd be more happy and comfortable here—and maybe you are right, I didn't think over the matter from thy side as well as my own, as I ought to have done—of course you shall stay here; and, of course, you shall have a berth10 as under-viewer. As for swearing off drink altogether, I wouldn't ask it of you, though I do wish you could resolve never to drink too much again. You ha' been used to go to the "Chequers" every night for nigh forty years, and you couldn't give it up now. You would pine away without somewhere to go to. However, this must be understood, whenever you like to come up to me I shall be glad to see you, and I shall expect you on Sundays to dinner if on no other day; and whenever the time shall come when you feel, dad, that you'd rather give up work, there will be a cottage for you and mother somewhere handy to me, and enough to live comfortably and free from care."
"That's a bargain, lad, and I'm roight glad it be off [Pg 293]my mind, for I ha' been bothering over't ever since thee spoke11 to me last."
The same evening Jack had a long talk with Harry12. His friend, although healthy, was by no means physically13 strong, and found the work of a miner almost beyond him. He had never taken to the life as Jack had done, and his friend knew that for the last year or two he had been turning his thoughts in other directions, and that of all things he would like to be a schoolmaster. He had for years read and studied a good deal, and Mr. Dodgson said that with a year in a training college he would be able to pass. He had often talked the matter over with Jack, and the latter told him now that he had entered his name in St. Mark's College, Chelsea, had paid his fees six months in advance, his savings14 amply sufficing for this without drawing upon his salary, and that he was to present himself there in a week's time.
The announcement took away Harry's breath, but as soon as he recovered himself he accepted Jack's offer as frankly15 as it was made. It had always been natural for Jack to lend him a hand, and it seemed to him, as to Jack, natural that it should be so now.
"Have you told Nelly?"
"No, I left it for you to tell, Harry. I know, of course, one reason why you want to be a schoolmaster, and she will know it too. She is a strange girl, is Nelly; I never did quite understand her, and I never shall; why on earth she should refuse you I can't make [Pg 294]out. She's had lots o' other offers these last four years, but it's all the same. There's no one she cares for, why shouldn't she take you?"
"I can wait," Harry said quietly, "there's plenty of time; perhaps some day I shall win her, and I think—yes, I think now—that I shall."
"Well," Jack said cheerfully, "as you say there's plenty of time; I've always said thirty was the right age to marry, and you want eight years of that, and Nelly won't get old faster than you do, so if she don't fall in love with any one else it must come right; she has stood out for nearly four years, and though I don't pretend to know anything of women, I should think no woman could go on saying no for twelve years."
Harry, although not given to loud mirth, laughed heartily16 at Jack's views over love-making, and the two then walked across to Nelly Hardy's cottage. Jack told her what Bill Haden and his wife had decided17, and she approved their determination. Then Harry said what Jack had arranged for him.
Nelly shook her head as if in answer to her own thoughts while Harry was speaking, but when he ceased she congratulated him warmly.
"You were never fit for pit-work, Harry, and a schoolmaster's life will suit you well. It is curious that Jack's two friends should both have taken to the same life."
Jack's surprise was unbounded when, a month after the reopening of the Vaughan, Mr. Brook took him [Pg 295]over to his new abode18. His bewilderment at the size and completeness of the house and its fittings was even greater than his pleasure.
"But what am I to do alone in this great place, Mr. Brook?" he asked; "I shall be lost here. I am indeed deeply grateful to you, but it is much too big for me altogether."
"It is no bigger now than it has always been," Mr. Brook said, "and you will never be lost as long as you have your study there," and he pointed19 to a room snugly20 fitted up as a library and study. "You will be no more lonely than I or other men without wives and families; besides you know these may come some day."
"Ah! but that will be many years on," Jack said; "I always made up my mind not to marry till I was thirty, because a wife prevents you making your way."
"Yes; but now that you have made your way so far, Jack, a wife will aid rather than hinder you. But it will be time to think of that in another three or four years. You will not find it so dull as you imagine, Jack. There is your work, which will occupy the greater part of your day. There is your study for the evening. You will speedily know all the people worth knowing round here; I have already introduced you to a good many, and they will be sure to call as soon as you are settled here. In the stable, my dear boy, you will find a couple of horses, and a saddle, and a dog-cart, so that you will be able to take exercise and call about. I shall keep the horses. I consider them neces[Pg 296]sary for my manager. My men will keep the garden in order, and I think that you will find that your salary of ￡350 a year to begin with ample for your other expenses."
Jack was completely overpowered by the kindness of his employer, but the latter would not hear of thanks. "Why, man, I owe you my life," he said; "what are these little things in comparison?"
Jack found fewer difficulties than he had anticipated in his new position. His speech at the opening of the mine added to the favour with which he was held for his conduct at the time of the explosion, and further heightened the respect due to him for his defence of the Vaughan. As he went through the mine he had ever a cheery "Good morning, Bob," "Good morning, Jack," for his old comrades, and the word "sir" was now universally added to the answered "Good morning," a concession21 not always made by colliers to their employers.
The miners soon felt the advantages of the new manager's energy, backed as he was in every respect by the owner. The work as laid down by the government inspector22 was carried out, and Mr. Brook having bought up for a small sum the disused Logan mine, in which several of the lower seams of coal were still unworked, the opening between the pits was made permanent, and the Logan shaft23 became the upcast to the Vaughan, thus greatly simplifying the work of ventilation, lessening24 the danger of explosion, and giving a [Pg 297]means of escape for the miners should such a catastrophe25 recur26 in spite of all precautions.
As nearly half the old workers at the pit had perished in the explosion, an equal number of new hands had to be taken on. Jack, sharing the anxiety of the vicar and Mr. Dodgson, that all the good work should not be checked by the ingress of a fresh population, directed that all vacancies27 should be filled up by such colliers of good character as resided at Stokebridge, working for other pits in the neighbourhood. As the Vaughan promised to be the most comfortable and well-worked pit in the country, these were only too glad to change service, and more names were given in than vacancies could be found for. As all the inhabitants of Stokebridge had participated in the benefits of the night schools and classes, and in the improvements which had taken place, the advance of the village suffered no serious check from the catastrophe at the Vaughan.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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2
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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3
pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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4
prop
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| vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山 | |
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5
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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7
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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8
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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9
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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10
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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11
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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12
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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13
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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14
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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15
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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16
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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17
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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18
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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19
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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21
concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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22
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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23
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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24
lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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25
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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26
recur
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| vi.复发，重现，再发生 | |
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27
vacancies
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| n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺 | |
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