"That's better," she said. "Now set up and I'll help thee dress; and
here's a nice cup of tea ready."
"Oh, thank you!" I said. "What time is it?"
"Close upon five, and I thowt you'd be better now after some tea."
She helped me on with my jacket, and I winced with pain, I was so stiff
and sore. After this she insisted upon putting on my boots.
"Just as if I heven't done such things hundreds of times," she said
cheerfully. "Why, I used to put on the mester's and tak 'em off all the
time his leg was bad."
"I'm sorry I set that trap," I said, looking up at her rough, pleasant
face, and wondering how such a sneaking, malignant fellow could have won
so good a wife.
"I'm not," she said laughing. "It sarved him right, so say no more
about it."
That tea was like nectar, and seemed to clear my head, so that I felt
nearly recovered save when I tried to rise, and then I was in a good
deal of pain. But I deemed myself equal to going, and was about to
start when I missed my cap.
"Hey, but that'll be gone," she said. "Oh, they boys! Well, yow must
hev Dick's."
Before I could protest she went upstairs, and returned with a
decent-looking cap, which I promised to return, and then, bidding my
Samaritan-like hostess good-bye, I walked firmly out of her sight, and
then literally began to hobble, and was glad as soon as I could get into
the main road to hail one of the town cabs and be driven home, not
feeling strong enough to go to the works and tell of my mishap.
Mr Tomplin came in that evening after Uncle Dick had heard all my
narrative and Uncle Bob had walked up and down the room, driving his
fist into his hand every now and then with a loud _pat_.
We had had a long conversation, in which I had taken part with a
terribly aching head, and I should have gone to bed only I would not
show the white feather.
For they all three made this a reason why I should give up to them, and
after all go back.
"You see the men are dead against us, Cob, and the boys follow suit, and
are against you." So said Uncle Dick.
"All the men are not against you," I said. "Look at Pannell! He has
come round, and," I added, with a laugh that hurt me horribly, "I shall
have some of the boys come round and help me."
"The young scoundrels!" cried Uncle Bob. _Pat_--that was his fist
coming down into his hand. "The young scoundrels!"
"Well, you've said that twenty times at least, Bob," said Uncle Jack.
"Enough to make me!" said Uncle Bob sharply. "The young scoundrels!"
_Pat_.
"I only wish I'd been there with a good handy riding-whip," said Uncle
Jack. "There would have been some wailing among them."
"Yes; and summonses for assault, and all that bother," said Uncle Dick.
"We don't want to come to blows, Jack, if we can help it."
"They are beyond bearing," cried Uncle Bob, keeping up his walk; "the
young scoundrels!" _Pat_.
"My dear Bob," cried Uncle Dick, who was very much out of temper; "if
you would be kind enough to leave off that trot up and down."
"Like a hungry lion," said Uncle Jack.
"In the Zoo," cried Uncle Dick, "you would very much oblige me."
"I can't sit down," said Uncle Bob, thumping his hand. "I feel too much
excited."
"Then bottle it up for future use," said Uncle Dick. "You really must."
"To attack and hurt the boy in that way! It's scandalous. The young
ruffians--the young savages!"
Just then Mr Tomplin came in, looked sharply round, and saw there was
something wrong.
"I beg your pardon," he said quickly; "I'll look in another time."
"No, no," said Uncle Bob. "Pray sit down. We want your advice. A
cruel assault upon our nephew here"--and he related the whole affair.
"Humph!" ejaculated Mr Tomplin, looking hard at me.
"What should you advise--warrants against the ringleaders?"
"Summonses, Mr Robert, I presume," said Mr Tomplin. "But you don't
know who they were?"
"Yes; oh, yes!" cried Uncle Bob eagerly. "Two young Gentles."
"But you said the mother saved our young friend here from the lads,
dowsed them and trounced them with a pail, and made her husband clean
his boots, while she nursed him and made him tea."
"Ye-es," said Uncle Bob.
"Well, my dear sir, when you get summonses out against boys--a practice
to which I have a very great objection--it is the parents who suffer
more than their offspring."
"And serve them right, sir, for bringing their boys up so badly."
"Yes, I suppose so; but boys will be boys," said Mr Tomplin.
"I don't mind their being boys," said Uncle Bob angrily; "what I do
object to is their being young savages. Why, sir, they half-killed my
nephew."
"But he has escaped, my dear sir, and, as I understand it, the mother
has threatened to--er--er--leather the boys well, that was, I think, her
term--"
"Yes," I said, rather gleefully, "leather them."
"And judging from the description I have heard of this Amazon-like lady,
who makes her husband obey her like a sheep, the young gentlemen's skins
will undergo rather a severe tanning process. Now, don't you think you
had better let the matter stand as it is? And, speaking on the _lex
talionis_ principle, our young friend Jacob here ought to be able to
handle his fists, and on the first occasion when he met one of his
enemies he might perhaps give him a thrashing. I don't advise it, for
it is illegal, but he might perhaps by accident. It would have a good
effect."
"But you are always for letting things drop, Mr Tomplin," said Uncle
Bob peevishly.
"Yes; I don't like my friends to go to law--or appeal to the law, as one
may say. I am a lawyer, and I lose by giving such advice, I know."
"Mr Tomplin's right, Bob," said Uncle Jack. "You think of that boy as
if he were sugar. I'm sure he does not want to take any steps; do you,
Cob?"
"No," I said; "if I may--"