staringatoneso。I’llbeboundyouwishedyou’dtakenmyoffer，andborrowedmyblackwateredscarf!Nowdidn’tyou，Mary？Speaktruth!““Totelltruth，Ineverthoughtaboutit，then，Sally。HowcouldI？“askedshe，reproachfully。“Oh——Iforgot。YouwereallforthatstupidJamesWilson。Well!ifI’veeverthelucktogowitnessonatrial，seeifIdon’tpickupabetterbeauthantheprisoner。I’llaimatalawyer’sclerk，butI’llnottakelessthanaturnkey。“CastdownasMarywas，shecouldhardlykeepfromsmilingattheidea，sowildlyincongruouswiththesceneshehadreallyundergone，oflookingoutforadmirersduringatrialformurder。“I’dnothoughttobelookingoutforbeaux，Icanassureyou，Sally。Butdon’tletustalkanymoreaboutit；Ican’tbeartothinkonit。HowisMissSimmonds？andeverybody？““Oh，verywell；andbythewayshegavemeabitofamessageforyou。
Youmaycomebacktoworkifyou’llbehaveyourself，shesays。Itoldyoushe’dbegladtohaveyouback，afterallthispieceofbusiness，bywayoftemptingpeopletocometohershop。They’dcomefromSalfordtohaveapeepatyou，forsixmonthsatleast。““Don’ttalkso；Icannotcome，IcanneverfaceMissSimmondsagain。AndevenifIcould——“shestopped，andblushed。“Aye!Iknowwhatyouarethinkingon。Butthatwillnotbethissometime，ashe’sturnedofffromthefoundry，——you’dbetterthinktwiceaforerefusingMissSimmonds’offer。““Turnedofffromthefoundry？Jem!“criedMary。“Tobesure!didn’tyouknowit？Decentmenwerenotgoingtoworkwitha——no!IsupposeImustn’tsayit，seeingyouwenttosuchatroubletogetupanalibi；notthatIshouldthinkmuchtheworseofaspiritedyoungfellowforfallingfoulofarival，——theyalwaysdoatthetheatre。“ButMary’sthoughtswerewithJem。Howgoodhehadbeennevertonamehisdismissaltoher。Howmuchhehadtoendureforhersake!“Tellmeallaboutit，“shegaspedout。“Why，yousee，they’vealwaysswordsquitehandyatthemplays，“beganSally；butMary，withanimpatientshakeofherhead，interrupted，“AboutJem，——aboutJem，Iwanttoknow。““Oh!Idon’tpretendtoknowmorethanisineveryone’smouthhe’sturnedawayfromthefoundry，becausefolksdon’tthinkyou’veclearedhimoutrightofthemurder；thouhperhapsthejurywereloathtohanghim。OldMrCarsonissavageagainstjudgeandjury，andlawyersandall，asIheard。““Imustgotohim，Imustgotohim，“repeatedMary，inahurriedmanner。“He’lltellyouallI’vesaidistrue，andnotawordoflie，“repliedSally。“SoI’llnotgiveyouranswertoMissSimmonds，butleaveyoutothinktwiceaboutit。Goodafternoon!“Maryshutthedoor，andturnedintothehouse。Herfathersatinthesameattitude；theoldunchangingattitude。Onlyhisheadwasmorebowedtowardstheground。SheputonherbonnettogotoAncoats；forsee，andquestion，andcomfort，andworshipJem，shemust。Asshehungaboutherfatherforaninstantbeforeleavinghim，hespoke——voluntarilyspokeforthefirsttimesinceherreturn；buthisheadwasdroopingsolowshecouldnothearwhathesaid，soshestoopeddown；andafteramoment’spause，herepeatedthewords，“TellJemWilsontocomehereateighto’clockto-night。“CouldhehaveoverheardherconversationwithSallyLeadbitter？Theyhadwhisperedlow，shethought。Ponderingonthis，andmanyotherthings，shereachedAncoats。
“Oh，hadhelived，RepliedRusilla，neverpenitenceHadequalledhis!fullwellIknowhisheart，Vehementinallthings。HewouldonhimselfHavewreakedsuchpenanceashadreachedtheheightOffleshlysuffering，——yea，whichbeingtold，WithitsportentousrigourshouldhavemadeThememoryofhisfaulto’erpoweredandlost，Inshudderingpityandastonishment，Fadelikeafeeblehorror。SOUTHEY’SRoderick。AsMarywasturningintothestreetwheretheWilsonslived，Jemovertookher。Hecameuponhersuddenly，andshestarted。“You’regoingtoseemother？“
heaskedtenderly，placingherarmwithinhis，andslackeninghispace。“Yes，andyoutoo。Oh，Jem，isittrue？tellme。“Shefeltrightlythathewouldguessthemeaningofheronlyhalf-expressedinquiry。Hehesitatedamomentbeforeheansweredher。“Darling，itis；it’snousehidingit——ifyoumeanthat。I’mnolongertoworkatDuncombe’sfoundry。It’snotimetomymindtohavesecretsfromeachother，thoughIdidnotnameityesterday，thinkingyoumightfret。Ishallsoongetworkagain，neverfear。““Butwhydidtheyturnyouoff，whenthejuryhadsaidyouwereinnocent？““Itwasnotjusttosayturnedoff，thoughIdon’tthinkIcouldhavewellstayedon。Agoodnumberofthemenmanagedtoletouttheyshouldnotliketoworknudermeagain；thereweresomefewwhoknewmewellenoughtofeelIcouldnothavedoneit，butmoreweredoubtful；andonespoketoyoungMrDuncombe，hintingatwhattheythought。““Oh，Jem!whatashame!“saidMary，withmournfulindignation。“Nay，darling!I’mnotforblamingthem。Poorfellowslikethemhavenoughttostanduponandbeproudofbuttheircharacter，andit’sfittingtheyshouldtakecareofthat，andkeepthatfreefromsoilandtaint。““Butyou，——whatcouldtheygetbutgoodfromyou？Theymighthaveknownyoubythistime。““Sosomedo；theoverlooker，I’msure，wouldknowIaminnocent。Indeed，hesaidasmuchto-day；andhesaidhehadhadsometalkwitholdMrDuncombe，andtheythoughtitmightbebetterifIleftManchesterforabit；they’drecommendmetosomeotherplace。“ButMarycouldonlyshakeherheadinamournfulway，andrepeatherwords，“Theymighthaveknowntheebetter，Jem。“Jempressedthelittlehandheheldbetweenhisownwork-hardenedones。
Afteraminuteortwo，heasked，“Mary，artthoumuchboundtoManchester？Woulditgrievetheesoretoquittheoldsmoke-jack？““Withthee？“sheasked，inaquiet，glancingway。“Aye，lass!Trustme，I’llneverasktheetoleaveManchesterwhileI’minit。BecauseIhaveheardfinethingsofCanada；andouroverlookerhasacousininthefoundrylinethere。ThouknowestwhereCanadais，Mary？““Notrightly——notnow，atanyrate；——butwiththee，Jem，“hervoicesunktoasoft，lowwhisper，“anywhere——“Whatwastheuseofageographicaldescription!“Butfather!“saidMary，suddenlybreakingthatdelicioussilencewiththeonesharpdiscordinherpresentlife。Shelookedupatherlover’sgraveface；andthenthemessageherfatherhadsentflashedacrosshermemory。“Oh，Jem，didItellyou？Fathersentwordhewishedtospeakwithyou。