I think her prayer, which was literally a cry of agony to her true
Father, brought mother some strength and comfort. She grew more
composed, and when I ran away to Nan's cottage, she went up to see Gwen.
I had obeyed David's message to the letter. I had not let her know of
any possible danger to him. All her thoughts and fears were centred on
Owen--indeed, we both had thought most of Owen during the long hours of
the weary night. But now David might really seek him; the chances were
that the evil he dreaded was averted, that he would come up from the
mine with the night shift. He would need a few hours' rest, and then he
might really seek for Owen. It had occurred to me as I lay awake in the
night, that Owen, who knew nothing of my visit to Tynycymmer, might have
gone there himself to tell David, this was quite a likely thing for him
to do. In that case, David might go there and bring him back. I
fancied his return, I fancied gentle, humble, forgiving words; I thought
of mother, sister, brother, starting together on a surer, happier
footing, of possible good arising out of this sorrow. In short, as I
walked down to Nan's cottage, I saw a rainbow spanning this cloud. How
short-sighted and ignorant I was! Did I not know that sin must bring
its punishment, that however a man may repent, however fully and freely
a man may be forgiven, yet in pain, sorrow and bitterness must the wages
his own deeds have brought him, be paid. I entered Nan's cottage; it
was early, not more than six o'clock, but Nan was up, had even eaten her
breakfast, and was now, when I arrived, washing some coarse delf cups
and saucers in a wooden tub. I had learned in my intercourse with this
strange child to read her face almost like a book. The moment I saw it
to-day my heart sank, Nan had on her very oldest and most careworn
expression.
"You are up to fifty, to-day. Nan," I said with the ghost of a smile.
For answer, Nan looked me hard in the face, and began to cry.
"Oh! I'm so sorry," she began, coming up to my side, "I've been
thinking so much of you all, Miss Morgan, and I've been crying so bitter
to the Lord to comfort you."
"I am glad of that, Nan," I said, "but don't let us talk of our trouble
now. I want you tell me all you know about the mine; and, first, has my
brother come up?"
"_All_ I know," repeated Nan, "but Miles said I was not to babble."
"Yes, but my brother has told me there is, or was, danger; you know we
always imagine danger to be worse than it is, so do tell me what is
wrong; and, first, _has_ my brother come up?"
"No, Miss Morgan, not with the night shift. The Squire and Miles are
still down in the mine."
"And all the men have gone down as usual this morning?" I asked.
"Oh! yes, and father with them."
"Then there cannot be danger?"
"Well, I don't know--I'm that timmersome, it may seem so to me; or it
may be h'all Miles's fancy, but he's rare and knowing, Miles is."
"Well, dear Nan, please sit down quietly and tell me the whole story
from beginning to end, what you know and what you fear."
Nan had by this time wiped away all traces of her tears; she was given
to sudden bursts of grief, out of which her dark eyes used to flash as
bright as though the briny drops were unknown to them. Had I met Nan
apart from personal tragedy, I might have considered her tiny form, her
piquant old-fashioned face, and quaint words, an interesting study; but
now I felt a little impatient over her long delays, and deep-drawn
sighs, and anxious to launch her midway into her tale.
"Miles is very knowing," began Nan, seeing I was determined, and would
have my way; "Miles is very knowing, and from the time he was a little,
little lad, he'd study father's plan o' the mine. I never could make
out the meanin' o' it, but long before Miles ever went down into a mine
he knew all about levels, and drifts, and headings, and places without
number; and he used to say to me, `Why, our mine is like a town, Nan, it
has its main roads, and its crossings, and its railways, and all;' he
tried to make a romance out of the mine for me, seeing I was so
timmersome, and he never spoke of danger, nor fall o' roofs, nor gas,
nor nothing, when I was by; only when they thought I was asleep, I used
to hear him and father talk and talk; and somehow, Miss Morgan, the
hearing of 'em whispering, whispering of danger, made the danger, just
as you say, twice as big to me, and I used to be that frightened I
feared I'd die just from sheer old h'age. And at last I spoke to the
Lord about it, and it seemed to me the Lord made answer loud and clear,
`Resist the devil and he will flee from you;' and then I saw plain as
daylight, that the devil to me now, was the fear of danger to father and
Miles, and the only thing to do was to turn and face it like a man, or
may be a woman, which sometimes is bravest. So I went to Miles and told
him how I had prayed, and what the Lord had said, and I begged of Miles
to tell me h'all about everything, all the danger of fire-damp, and
explosions, and inundations. Oh! Miss Morgan, he did what I axed him,
he seemed real pleased; and for a fortnight I scarce slept a wink, but
then I got better, and I found the devil, now I was facing him, brave
and manful, did not seem so big. Then I went to Miles again, and I made
him promise not never to hide when he thought danger was going to be in
the mine, and he was real glad, and said he would faithful tell me
h'every thing. Well, Miss Morgan, he was very sharp and had his wits
about him, and he heard people talk, and for all Mr Morgan was so
pleasant, and so well liked, father said that he was so rare and anxious
to win the coal, that sometimes, though he had reformed so much in the
mine, he was a bit rash, and then the men grumbled about the coal
pillars being struck away so much, and the supports not being thick
enough."
"But I spoke to Owen about that," I interrupted eagerly, "and he was so
dreadfully hurt and vexed; he would not endanger the men's lives for the
world, Nan; and he said that he was an engineer and must understand a
great deal more about the mine than the miners. After all, Nan," I
continued rather haughtily, and with feelings new and yet old stirring
in my heart for Owen, "your little brother _cannot_ know, and without
meaning it, he probably exaggerates the danger."
"That may be so, Miss Morgan, but in the case of the coal supports it
was the talk of all the men."
"I know," I continued, "I have heard that miners were never contented
yet with any manager; they were sure, _whatever_ the manager did, to
find fault with him."
"You wrong us there, Miss, you wrong us most bitter; there is not a man
belonging to Ffynon mine who does not love Mr Morgan; there is not a
man who does not feel for his trouble. Why, the way he looked yesterday
when he saw the little baby, has been the talk of the place; and last
night a lot of our men prayed for him most earnest. We all knows that
it was want of thought with Mr Morgan, we all loves him."
"Dear Nan, forgive me for speaking so hastily, and do go on."
"Well, Miss Morgan, Miles, he always says that he must learn, if he
lives, to be an engineer, he's so fond of anything belonging to it.
What 'ud you say, Miss, but he drawed h'out a plan of the mine for
himself, and when it was finished he showed it to me and father; it
worn't exactly like father's old plan, but father said in some ways it
might be more right. Well, Miss, Miles, haven't much to do in the mine,
he's what they calls a trapper--that is, he has to shut and open the
doors to let the trams of coal pass, so he has to stand in the dark, and
plenty of time for thought has he. Well, Miss, about a month ago, Mr
Morgan was down in the mine, and he said they was letting a fine seam of
coal lie idle, and he said it should be cut, and it stretched away in
another direction. Well, Miles, he had to act trapper at some doors
close to the new seam, and it came into his head, with his knowledge of
the mine, and his own plan, that they must be working away right in the
direction of Pride's Pit, which you know, Miss, is full of water. Miles
had this thought in his head for some days, and at last he told me, and
at last he told father, and father said, being vexed a bit, `Don't fancy
you have a wiser head on your shoulders than your elders, my boy; we are
likely enough working in the direction of Pride's Pit, but what of that,
'tis an uncommon rich vein of coal; and, never fear, we'll stop short at
the right side of the wall.' Well, Miss, Miles tried to stop his fears
but he couldn't, happen what would, he couldn't, and he said to me,
`Why, Nan, the men are all so pleased with the new find of coal, that
they'll just stop short at nothing, and the manager is beside himself
with delight, and they'll work on, Nan, until they gets to the water;
why, sometimes standing there, I almost fancies I _hears_ it,' and at
last, two nights ago, he said to me, `Nan, my mind is made up, I'll
speak to Mr Morgan.' Then, Miss, you know what happened, and how all
day long Mr Morgan never came back, and Miles, he wandered about just
like a ghost, more fretted about the mine than he was about the dear
little baby, so that I was fain to think him heartless: then at last,
the Squire came, and he _would_ tell him everything, and the Squire
said, `I'll go down with you at once, Miles; I'll see what I can for
myself, and question every man in the mine, and if there appears to be
the slightest truth in what you fear, all the workings shall be stopped
until my brother returns.'"
A long pause from Nan, then in a low sweet voice, "Late last night Miles
came in, and put his arms round my neck and said, `Nan, darling, the
Squire and me, we're going down; we'll put it all right, please God.
Don't you be down-hearted, Nan; _whatever_ happens. Jesus loves us, and
now that I've got the Squire with me, I feels bold as a lion, for I
_know_ I'm right, there _is_ danger.'" Another pause, then facing round
and looking me full in the face. "There, Miss, that's the whole story."
"But, Nan, Nan, suppose the water does burst in?"
"Why, then, Miss, every one in the mine will be drowned, or--or starved
to death."
"And it _may_ come in at any moment?"
"I doesn't know, I means to keep h'up heart, don't let you and me
frighten one another, Miss Morgan."