English fiction -- 19th century; Labor unions -- Fiction
In the morning he saw clearer. “Don't quarrel with HER. Destroy HIM.” He
saw this as plainly as if it was written.
He wrote Grace a few sad lines, to say that of course he submitted to
her will. The letter ended thus: “Since I can do nothing to please you,
let me suffer to please you: even that is something.”
(This letter brought the tears to Grace's eyes, and she pitied and
esteemed the writer.)
He put on a plain suit, and drove into Hillsborough, burning with
wild ideas of vengeance. He had no idea what he should do; but he was
resolved to do something. He felt capable of assassinating Little with
his own hand.
I should be sorry to gain any sympathy for him; but it is only fair
the reader should understand that he felt deeply aggrieved, and that
we should all feel aggrieved under similar circumstances. Priority is a
title, all the world over; and he had been the lady's lover first, had
been encouraged, and supplanted.
Longing to wound, but not knowing how to strike, he wandered about the
town, and went into several factories, and talked to some of the men,
and contrived to bring the conversation round to Little, and learn what
he was doing. But he gathered no information of any use to him. Then
he went to Grotait's place, and tried to pump him. That sagacious
man thought this odd, and immediately coupled this with his previous
denunciation of Little, and drew him on.
Coventry was too much under the influence of passion to be quite master
of himself that day; and he betrayed to this other Machiavel that he
wished ill to Henry Little. As soon as he had thoroughly ascertained
this, Grotrait turned coolly on him, and said, “I am sorry Mr. Little
has got enemies; for he and his partner talk of building a new factory,
and that will be a good thing for us: take a score of saw-grinders
off the box.” Then Coventry saw he had made a mistake, and left “The
Cutlers' Arms” abruptly.
Next day he took a lodging in the town, and went about groping for
information, and hunting for a man whose face he knew, but not his name.
He learned all about Bolt and Little's vain endeavor to build, and went
and saw the place, and the condemned bricks. The sight gratified him.
He visited every saw-grinder's place he could hear of; and, at last, he
fell in with Sam Cole, and recognized him at once. That worthy affected
not to know him, and went on grinding a big saw. Coventry stepped up
to him, and said in his ear, “I want to speak with you. Make an
appointment.”
Cole looked rather sulky and reluctant at being drawn from his
obscurity. However, he named a low public-house in a back slum, and
there these two met that night, and for greater privacy were soon seated
in a place bigger than a box and smaller than a room with discolored
walls, and a rough wooden table before them splashed with beer. It
looked the very den to hatch villainy in, and drink poison to its
success.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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