He took leave of Janet, somehow, and went for a walk up to Toft End,
where the wind blows. His thoughts were more complex than ever in the
darkness. So she had made them all promise not to ask her to recite
while he was at the Orgreaves'! She had seen him, previous to that, in
the street, and had obviously discussed him with Janet... And then, at
nearly midnight, she had followed him to the new house! And on the day
of the Centenary she had manoeuvred to let Janet and Mr Orgreave go in
front... He did not like her. She was too changeable, too dark, and
too light... But it was exciting. It was flattering. He saw again and
again her gesture as she bent to Mr Shushions; and the straightening of
her spine as she left the garden-porch on the night of his visit to the
Orgreaves... Yet he did not like her. Her sudden departure, however,
was a disappointment; it was certainly too abrupt... Probably very
characteristic of her... Strange day! He had been suspected of theft.
He had stood up to his father. He had remained away from the shop. And
his father's only retort was to give him a rise of half a crown a week!
"The old man must have had a bit of a shock!" he said to himself, grimly
vain. "I lay I don't hear another word about that fifty pounds."
Yes, amid his profound resentment, there was some ingenuous vanity at
the turn which things had taken. And he was particularly content about
the rise of half a crown a week, because that relieved him from the most
difficult of all the resolutions the carrying out of which was to mark
the beginning of the new life. It settled the financial question, for
the present at any rate. It was not enough, but it was a great deal--
from his father. He was ashamed that he could not keep his righteous
resentment pure from this gross satisfaction at an increase of income.
The fineness of his nature was thereby hurt. But the gross satisfaction
would well up in his mind.
And in the night, with the breeze on his cheek, and the lamps of the
Five Towns curving out below him, he was not unhappy, despite what he
had suffered and was still suffering. He had a tingling consciousness
of being unusually alive.
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