your great pitiful eyes? Where's John?' Weak as she was, she shook Margaret to force out an answer. 'Oh, my God!' said she, understanding the meaning of that tearful look. She sank hack into the chair. Margaret took up the child and put him into her arms. 'He loved him,' said she. 'Ay,' said the woman, shaking her head, 'he loved us a'. We had some one to love us once. It's a long time ago; but when he were in life and with us, he did love us, he did. He loved this babby mappen the best on us;but he loved me and I loved him, though I was calling him five minutes agone. Are yo' sure he's dead?' said she, trying to get up. 'If it's only that he's ill and like to die, they may bring him round yet. I'm but an ailing creature mysel'--I've been ailing this long time.' 'But he is dead--he is drowned!' 'Folk are brought round after they're dead-drowned. Whatten was I thinking of, to sit still when I should be stirring mysel'? Here, whisth thee, child--whisth thee! tak' this, tak' aught to play wi', but dunnot cry while my heart's breaking! Oh, where is my strength gone to? Oh, John--husband!' Margaret saved her from falling by catching her in her arms. She sate down in the rocking chair, and held the woman upon her knees, her head lying on Margaret's shoulder. The other children, clustered together in affright, began to understand the mystery of the scene; but the ideas came slowly, for their brains were dull and languid of perception. They set up such a cry of despair as they guessed the truth, that Margaret knew not how to bear it. Johnny's cry was loudest of them all, though he knew not why he cried, poor little fellow. The mother quivered as she lay in Margaret's arms. Margaret heard a noise at the door. 'Open it. Open it quick,' said she to the eldest child. 'It's bolted; make no noise--be very still. Oh, papa, let them go upstairs very softly and carefully, and perhaps she will not hear them. She has fainted--that's all.' 'It's as well for her, poor creature,' said a woman following in the wake of the bearers of the dead. 'But yo're not fit to hold her. Stay, I'll run fetch a pillow and we'll let her down easy on the floor.' This helpful neighbour was a great relief to Margaret; she was evidently a stranger to the house, a new-comer in the district, indeed; but she was so kind and thoughtful that Margaret felt she was no longer needed; and that it would be better, perhaps, to set an example of clearing the house, which was filled with idle, if sympathising gazers. She looked round for Nicholas Higgins. He was not there. So she spoke to the woman who had taken the lead in placing Mrs. Boucher on the floor. 'Can you give all these people a hint that they had better leave in quietness?
So that when she comes round, she should only find one or two that she knows about her. Papa, will you speak to the men, and get them to go away?
She cannot breathe, poor thing, with this crowd about her.' Margaret was kneeling down by Mrs. Boucher and bathing he face with vinegar;but in a few minutes she was surprised at the gush of fresh air. She looked round, and saw a smile pass between her father and the woman. 'What is it?' asked she. 'Only our good friend here,' replied her father, 'hit on a capital expedient for clearing the place.' 'I bid 'em begone, and each take a child with 'em, and to mind that they were orphans, and their mother a widow. It was who could do most, and the childer are sure of a bellyful to-day, and of kindness too. Does hoo know how he died?' 'No,' said Margaret; 'I could not tell her all at once.' 'Hoo mun be told because of th' Inquest. See! Hoo's coming round; shall you or I do it? or mappen your father would be best?' 'No; you, you,' said Margaret. They awaited her perfect recovery in silence. Then the neighbour woman sat down on the floor, and took Mrs. Boucher's head and shoulders on her lap. 'Neighbour,' said she, 'your man is dead. Guess yo' how he died?' 'He were drowned,' said Mrs. Boucher, feebly, beginning to cry for the first time, at this rough probing of her sorrows. 'He were found drowned. He were coming home very hopeless o' aught on earth.
He thought God could na be harder than men; mappen not so hard; mappen as tender as a mother; mappen tenderer. I'm not saying he did right, and I'm not saying he did wrong. All I say is, may neither me nor mine ever have his sore heart, or we may do like things.' 'He has left me alone wi' a' these children!' moaned the widow, less distressed at the manner of the death than Margaret expected; but it was of a piece with her helpless character to feel his loss as principally affecting herself and her children. 'Not alone,' said Mr. Hale, solemnly. 'Who is with you? Who will take up your cause?' The widow opened her eyes wide, and looked at the new speaker, of whose presence she had not been aware till then. 'Who has promised to be a father to the fatherless?' continued he. 'But I've getten six children, sir, and the eldest not eight years of age.
I'm not meaning for to doubt His power, sir,--only it needs a deal o' trust;'
and she began to cry afresh. 'Hoo'll be better able to talk to-morrow, sir,' said the neighbour. 'Best comfort now would be the feel of a child at her heart. I'm sorry they took the babby.' 'I'll go for it,' said Margaret. And in a few minutes she returned, carrying Johnnie, his face all smeared with eating, and his hands loaded with treasures in the shape of shells, and bits of crystal, and the head of a plaster figure. She placed him in his mother's arms. 'There!' said the woman, 'now you go. They'll cry together, and comfort together, better nor any one but a child can do. I'll stop with her as long as I'm needed, and if yo' come to-morrow, yo' can have a deal o' wise talk with her, that she's not up to to-day.' As Margaret and her father went slowly up the street, she paused at Higgins's closed door. 'Shall we go in?' asked her father. 'I was thinking of him too.' They knocked. There was no answer, so they tried the door. It was bolted, but they thought they heard him moving within. 'Nicholas!' said Margaret. There was no answer, and they might have gone away, believing the house to be empty, if there had not been some accidental fall, as of a book, within. 'Nicholas!' said Margaret again. 'It is only us. Won't you let us come in?' 'No,' said he. 'I spoke as plain as I could, 'bout using words, when Ibolted th' door. Let me be, this day.' Mr. Hale would have urged their desire, but Margaret placed her finger on his lips. 'I don't wonder at it,' said she. 'I myself long to be alone. It seems the only thing to do one good after a day like this.'