"Why, if I thought my wife could hoodwink me as some of 'em does their
men, I'd never hold up my head of one while, for shame; no, not in my
own forge," continued Dovey. "Ann's temper's a bit trying sometimes, and
wants keeping in order; but she'd be above deceit o' that paltry sort.
She don't need to act it, neither; I give her a whole ten shillings
t'other day, and she went and laid it out at Alcester."
No doubt. Any amount of shillings would soon be sacrificed to Ann's
vanity.
"How much longer is that thing going to take, Dovey?" interposed
Stirling.
"Just about two minutes, sir. 'Twere a cranky---- There he goes."
The break in Dovey's answer was caused by the appearance of Jellico. He
came out, shouldering his pack. The blacksmith looked after him down the
Cut, and saw him turn in elsewhere.
"I thought 'twas where he was going," said he; "'tain't often he passes
that there dwelling. Other houses seem to have their days, turn and turn
about; but that 'un gets him constant."
"It's where Bird's wife lives, is it not, Dovey?"
"It's where she lives, fast enough, sir. And Bird, he be safe at his
over-looking work, five miles off, without fear of his popping in home
to hinder the dealing and chaffering. But she'd better mind--though Bird
do get a'most three pound a-week, he have got means for every sixpence
of it, with his peck o' childern, six young 'uns of her'n, and six
of his first wife's, and no more'n one on 'em yet able to earn a
penny-piece. If Bird thought she was running up a score with Jellico,
he'd give her two black eyes as soon as look at her."
"Bird's wife never seems to have any good clothes at all; she looks as
if she hadn't a decent gown to her back," said Frank.
"What she buys is mostly things for the little 'uns: shimmys and
pinafores, and that," replied Dovey. "Letty Bird's one o' them that's
more improvidenter than a body of any sense 'ud believe, Master
Stirling; she never has a coin by the Wednesday night, she hasn't. The
little 'uns 'ud be a-rolling naked in the gutter, but for what she gets
on tick off Jellico; and Bird, seeing 'em naked, might beat her for
that. That don't mend the system; the score's a-being run up, and it'll
bring trouble sometime as sure as a gun. Beside that, if there was no
Jellico to serve her with his poison, she'd _have_ to save enough for
decent clothes. Don't you see how the thing works, sir?"
"Oh, I see," carelessly answered Stirling. "D'ye call the pack's wares
poison, Dovey?"
"Yes, I do," said Dovey, stoutly, as he handed Frank his iron. "They'll
poison the peace o' many a household in this here Cut. You two young
gents just look out else, and see."
We came away with the iron. At the end of Piefinch Lane, Frank Stirling
took the road to the Court, and I turned into Reed's. The wife was by
herself then, giving the children their early tea.
"Reed shall come up to the Manor as soon as he gets home, sir," she
said, in answer to Tod's message.
"I was here before this afternoon, Mrs. Reed, and couldn't get in. You
were too busy to hear me at the door."
The knife halted in the bread she was cutting, and she glanced up for a
moment; but seemed to think nothing, and finished the slice.
"I've been very busy, Master Ludlow. I'm sorry you've had to come twice,
sir."
"Busy enough, I should say, with Jellico's pack emptied on the table,
and you and the rest buying up at steam pace."
The words were out of my lips before I saw her startled gesture of
caution, pointing to the children: it was plain they were not to know
anything about Jellico. She had an honest face, but it turned scarlet.
"Do you think it is a good plan, Mrs. Reed, to get things upon trust,
and have to make up money for them weekly?" I could not help saying to
her as she came to the door.
"I'm beginning to doubt whether it is, sir."
"If Reed thought he had a debt hanging over him, that might fall at any
moment----"
"For the love of mercy, sir, don't say nothing to Reed!" came the
startled interruption. "You won't, will you, Master Johnny?"
"Not I. Don't fear. But if I were you, Mrs. Reed, for my own sake I
should cut all connection with Jellico. Better deal at a fair shop."
She nodded her head as I went through the gate; but her face had now
turned to a sickly whiteness that spoke of terror. Was the woman so deep
in the dangerous books already?
Reed came up in the evening, and Tod showed him what he wanted done. As
the man was measuring the trellis-work, Hannah happened to pass. She
asked him how he was getting on.
"Amongst the middlings," answered Reed, shortly. "I was a bit put out
just now."
"What by?" asked Hannah, who said anything she chose before me without
the smallest ceremony: and Tod had gone away.
"As I was coming up here, Ingram stops me, and asks if I couldn't let
him have the bit of money I owed him. I stared at the man: what money
was I likely to owe him----"
"Ingram the cow-keeper?" interrupted Hannah.
"Ingram the cow-keeper. So, talking a bit, I found there was a matter of
six shillings due to him for the children's milk: it was ever so long
since my wife had paid. Back I went to her at once to know the reason
why--and it was that made me late in coming up here, Master Johnny."
"I suppose he had sold her skim milk for new, and she thought she'd make
him wait for his money," returned Hannah.
"All she said to me was that she didn't think it had been running so
long; Ingram had said to me that she always told him she was short of
money and couldn't pay," answered Reed. "Anyway, I don't think she'll
let it run on again. It put me out, though. I'd rather go off into the
workhouse, or die of starvation, than I'd let it be said in the place my
wife didn't pay as she went on."
_I_ saw through the difficulty, and should have liked to give Reed a
hint touching Jellico.
Now it was rather strange that, all in two days, Jellico and the
mischief he was working should be thus brought before me in three or
four ways, considering that I had never in my life before heard of the
man. But it chanced to be so. I don't want to say anything about the man
personally, good or bad; the mischief lay in the system. That Jellico
sold his goods at a nice rate for dearness, and used persuasion with the
women to buy them, was as plain as the sun at noonday; but in these
respects he was no worse than are many other people in trade. He went
to the houses in turn, and the women met him; it might be several weeks
before the meeting was held at Mrs. Reed's again. Ann Dovey could not
enjoy the hospitality of receiving him at hers, as her husband's work
lay at home. But she was a constant visitor to the other places.
And the time went on; and Mr. Jellico's trade flourished. But we heard
nothing more about it at Dyke Manor, and I naturally forgot it.