THE PANTRY WINDOW.
Stephen had been engaged in his new calling for about a fortnight, and
was coming home, after a long and toilsome day among the flocks, two
hours after sunset, with a keen east wind bringing the tears into his
eyes, when a few paces from his cabin door a tall dark figure sprang up
from a hollow in the cinder-hill, and laid a heavy hand upon his
shoulder. It was just light enough to discern the gloomy features of
Black Thompson; and Stephen inquired fearlessly what he wanted with him.
'I thought thee'd never be coming,' said Black Thompson impatiently.
'Lad, hast thee forgotten thy rights and thy wrongs, that thou comes to
yonder wretched kennel whistling as if all the land belonged to thee?
Where's thy promise to thy father, that thee'd never give up thy rights?
Jackson the butcher has taken Fern's Hollow, and it's to be finished up
in a week or two; and thee'lt see thy own place go into the hands of
strangers.'
'It'll all be put right some day, Thompson, thank you,' said Stephen.
'Right!' repeated Thompson; 'who's to put wrong things right if we won't
take the trouble ourselves? Is it right for the master to grind us down
in our wages, and raise the rents over our heads, till we can scarcely
get enough to keep us in victuals, just that he may add money to money
to count over of nights? Was it right of him to leave the pit yonder
open, till little Nan was killed in it? Thee has a heavy reckoning to
settle with him, and I'd be wiping off some of the score. If I was in
thy place, I should have little Nan's voice calling me day and night
from the pit, to ask when I was going to revenge her.'
Black Thompson felt that Stephen trembled under his grasp, and he went
on with greater earnestness.
'Thee could revenge thyself this very night. Thee could get the worth of
Fern's Hollow without a risk, if thee'd listen to me. It's thy own, lad,
and thy wrongs are heavy--Fern's Hollow stolen from thee, and the little
lass murdered! How canst thee rest, Stephen?'
'God will repay,' said Stephen in a tremulous tone.
'Dost think that God sees?' asked Black Thompson scoffingly; 'if He
sees, He doesn't care. What does it matter to Him that poor folks like
us are trodden down and robbed? If He cared, He could strike the master
dead in a moment, and He doesn't. He lets him prosper and prosper, till
nobody can stand afore him. I'd take my own matter in my own hands, and
make sure of vengeance. God doesn't take any notice.'
'I'm sure God sees,' answered Stephen; 'He is everywhere; and He isn't
blind, or deaf, only we don't understand what He is going to do yet. If
He didn't take any notice of us, He wouldn't make me feel so happy,
spite of everything. Oh, Thompson thee and the men were so kind to me
when I couldn't work, and I've never seen thee to thank thee. I can do
nothing for thee, except I could persuade thee to repent, and be as
happy as I am.'
'Oh, I'll repent some day,' said Black Thompson, loosing Stephen's arm;
'but I've lots of things to do aforehand, and I reckon they can all be
repented of together. So, lad, it's true what everybody is saying of
thee--thee has forgotten poor little Nan, and thy promise to thy
father!'
'No, I've never forgotten,' replied Stephen, 'but I'll never try to
revenge myself now. I couldn't if I did try. Besides, I've forgiven the
master; so don't speak to me again about it, Thompson.'
'Well, lad, be sure I'll never waste my time thinking of thee again,'
said Black Thompson, with an oath; 'thy religion has made a poor,
spiritless, cowardly chap of thee, and I've done with thee altogether.'
Black Thompson strode away into the darkness, and was quickly out of
hearing, while Stephen stood still and listened to his rapid footsteps,
turning over in his mind what mischief he wished to tempt him to now.
The open shaft was only a few feet from him; but it had been safely
encircled by a high iron railing, instead of being bricked over, as it
had been found of use in the proper ventilation of the pit. From
Thompson and his temptation, Stephen's thoughts went swiftly to little
Nan, and how he had heard her calling to him upon that dreadful night
when he went away with the poachers. Was it possible that he could
forget her for a single day? Was she not still one of his most constant
and most painful thoughts? Yes, he could remember every pretty look of
her face, and every sweet sound of her voice; yet they were saying he
had forgotten her, while the pit was there for him to pass night and
morning--a sorrowful reminder of her dreadful death! A sharp thrill ran
through Stephen's frame as his outstretched hand caught one of the iron
railings, which rattled in its socket; but his very heart stood still
when up from the dark, narrow depths there came a low and stifled cry of
'Stephen! Stephen!'
He was no coward, though Black Thompson had called him one; but this
voice from the dreaded pit, at that dark and lonely hour, made him
tremble so greatly that he could neither move nor shout aloud for very
fear. He leaned there, holding fast by the railing, with his hearing
made wonderfully acute, and his eyes staring blindly into the dense
blackness beneath him. In another second he detected a faint glimmer,
like a glow-worm deep down in the earth, and the voice, still muffled
and low, came up to him again.
'It's only me--Tim!' it cried. 'Hush! don't speak, Stephen; don't make
any noise. I'm left down in the pit. They're going to break into the
master's house to-night. They're going to get thee to creep through the
pantry window. If thee won't, Jack Davies is to go. They'll fire the
thatch, if they can't get the door open. Thee go and take care of Miss
Anne, and send Martha to Longville for help. Don't trust anybody at
Botfield.'
These sentences sounded up into Stephen's ears, one by one, slowly, as
Tim could give his voice its due tone and strength. He recollected
instantly all the long oppression the men had suffered from their
master. In that distant part of the county, where there were extensive
works, the colliers had been striking for larger wages; and some of them
had strolled down to Botfield, bringing with them an increase of
discontent and inquietude, which had taken deep root in the minds of all
the workpeople. It was well known that the master kept large sums of
money in his house, which, as I have told you, was situated among lonely
fields, nearly a mile from Botfield; and no one lived with him, except
Miss Anne, and one maid-servant. It was a very secure building, with
stone casements and strongly barred doors; but if a boy could get
through the pantry window, he could admit the others readily. How long
it would be before the attempt was made Stephen could not tell, but it
was already late, and Black Thompson had left him hurriedly. But at
least it must be an hour or two nearer midnight, and all hopes of rescue
and defence rested upon him and Martha only.
Martha was sitting by the fire knitting, and Bess Thompson was pinning
on her shawl to go home. Poor Bess! Even in his excitement Stephen felt
for her; but he dared not utter a word till she was gone. But then
Martha could not credit his hurried tidings and directions, until she
had been herself to the shaft to see the feeble gleam of Tim's lamp, and
hear the sound of his voice; for as soon as she rattled the railings he
spoke again.
'Be sharp!' he cried. 'I'm not afeared; but I can't stay here where
little Nan died. I'll go back to the pit, and wait till morning. Be
sharp!'
There was no need after that to urge Martha to hasten. After throwing a
shawl over her head, she started off for Longville with the swiftness of
a hare; and was soon past the engine-house, and threading her way
cautiously through Botfield, where she dreaded to be discovered as she
passed the lighted windows, or across the gleam of some open door. Many
of the houses were quite closed up and dark, but in some there was a
voice of talking; and here and there Martha saw a figure stealing like
herself along the deepest shadows. But she escaped without being
noticed; and, once through the village, her path lay along the silent
high-roads straight on to Longville.
Nor did Stephen linger in the cinder-hill cabin. He ran swiftly over the
pit-banks, and stole along by the limekilns and the blacksmith's shop,
for under the heavy door he could see a little fringe of light. How
loudly the dry cinders cranched under his careful footsteps! Yet, quiet
as the blacksmith's shop was, and soundless as the night without, the
noise did not reach the ears of those who were lurking within, and
Stephen went on in safety. There stood the master's house at last, black
and massive-looking against the dark sky; not a gleam from fire or
candle to be seen below, for every window was closely shuttered; but on
the second storey there shone a lighted casement, which Stephen knew
belonged to the master's chamber. The dog, which came often with Miss
Anne to the cinder-hill cabin, gave one loud bay, and then sprang
playfully upon Stephen, as if to apologize for his mistake in barking at
him. For some minutes the boy stood in deep deliberation, scarcely
daring to knock at the door, lest some of the housebreakers should be
already concealed near the spot, and rush upon him before it was opened,
or else enter with him into the defenceless dwelling. But at length he
gave one very quiet rap with his fingers, and after a minute's pause his
heart bounded with joy as he heard Miss Anne herself asking who was
there.
'Stephen Fern,' he answered, with his lips close to the keyhole, and
speaking in his lowest tones.
'What is the matter, Stephen?' she asked. 'I cannot open the door, for
my uncle always takes the keys with him into his own room.'
'Please to take the light into the pantry for one minute,' he whispered
cautiously, with a fervent hope that Miss Anne would do so without
requiring any further explanations; for he was lost if Black Thompson or
Davies were lying in wait near at hand. Very thankfully he heard Miss
Anne's step across the quarried floor, and in a moment afterwards the
light shone through a low window close by. It was unglazed, with a
screen of open lattice-work over it so as to allow of free ventilation.
It had one thick stone upright in the middle, leaving such a narrow
space as only a boy could creep through. He examined the opening quickly
and carefully while the light remained, and when Miss Anne returned to
the door he whispered again through the keyhole, 'Don't be afraid. It's
me--Stephen; I'm coming in through the pantry window.'
He knew his danger. He knew if any of the robbers came up they must hear
him removing the wooden lattice which was laid over the opening; and
unless they supposed it to be one of their accomplices at work, he would
be at once in their power, exposed to their ill-treatment, or perhaps
suffer death at their hands. And would Miss Anne within trust to him
instead of alarming the master? If he came down and opened the door, all
the designs of the evil men would be hastened and finished before Martha
could return from Longville. But Stephen did not listen, nor did his
fingers tremble over their work, though there was a rush of thoughts and
fears through his brain. He tore away the lattice as quickly and quietly
as he could, and, with one keen glance round at the dark night, he
thrust his head through the narrow frame. He found it was just possible
to crush through; and, after a minute's struggle, his feet rested upon
the pantry floor.