This challenge fired a sympathetic handle-maker. "Grinders are right," said he. "We must be a ---- mean lot and all, to handle his ---- work."
"He has been warned enough; but he heeds noane."
"Hustle him out o' works."
"Nay, hit him o'er th' head and fling him into shore."
With these menacing words, three or four roughs advanced on him, with wicked eyes; and the respectable workmen stood, like stone statues, in cold and terrible neutrality; and Henry, looking round, in great anxiety, found that Bayne had withdrawn.
He ground his teeth, and stepped back to the wall, to have all the assailants in the front. He was sternly resolute, though very pale, and, by a natural impulse, put his hand into his side-pocket, to feel if he had a weapon. The knife was there, the deadly blade with which his enemies themselves had armed him; and, to those who could read faces, there was death in the pale cheek and gleaming eye of this young man, so sorely tried.
At this moment, a burly gentleman walked into the midst of them, as smartly as Van Amburgh amongst his tigers, and said steadily, "What is to do now, lads?" It was Cheetham himself, Bayne knew he was in the office, and had run for him in mortal terror, and sent him to keep the peace. "They insult me, sir," said Henry; "though I am always civil to them; and that grinder refuses to grind my blades, there."
"Is that so? Step out, my lad. Did you refuse to grind those blades?"
"Ay," said the greyhound-man sullenly.
"Then put on your coat, and leave my premises this minute."
"He is entitled to a week's warning, Mr. Cheetham," said one of the decent workmen, respectfully, but resolutely; speaking now for the first time.
"You are mistaken, sir," replied Mr. Cheetham, in exactly the same tone. (No stranger could have divined the speakers were master and man.) "He has vitiated his contract by publicly refusing to do his work. He'll get nothing from me but his wages up to noon this day.
But YOU can have a week's warning, if you want it."
"Nay, sir. I've naught against you, for my part. But they say it will come to that, if you don't turn Little up."
"Why, what's his fault? Come now; you are a man. Speak up."
"Nay, I've no quarrel with the man. But he isn't straight with the trade."
"That is the secretaries' fault, not mine," said Henry. "They can't see I've brought a new trade in, that hurts no old trade, and will spread, and bring money into the town."
"We are not so ---- soft as swallow that," said the bloated smith.
"Thou's just come t' Hillsborough to learn forging, and when thou'st mastered that, off to London, and take thy ---- trade with thee."
Henry colored to the brow at the inferior workman's vanity and its concomitant, detraction. But he governed himself, by a mighty effort, and said, "Oh, that's your grievance now, is it? Mr. Cheetham--sir--will you ask some respectable grinder to examine these blades of mine?"
"Certainly. You are right, Little. The man to judge a forger's work is a grinder, and not another forger. Reynolds, just take a look at them, will ye?"
A wet grinder of a thoroughly different type and race from the greyhound, stepped forward. He was thick-set in body, fresh-colored, and of a square manly countenance. He examined the blades carefully, and with great interest.
"Well," said Henry, "were they forged by a smith, or a novice that is come here to learn anvil work?"
Reynolds did not reply to him, nor to Mr. Cheetham: he turned to the men. "Mates, I'm noane good at lying. Hand that forged these has naught to learn in Hillsbro', nor any other shop."
"Thank you, Mr. Reynolds," said Henry, in a choking voice. "That is the first gleam of justice that I--" He could say no more.
"Come, don't you turn soft for a word or two," said Cheetham.
"You'll wear all this out in time. Go to the office. I have something to say to you."
The something was said. It amounted to this--"Stand by me and I'll stand by you."
"Well, sir," said Henry, "I think I must leave you if the committees refuse my offer. It is hard for one man to fight a couple of trades in such a place as this. But I'm firm in one thing: until those that govern the unions say 'no' to my offer, I shall go on working, and the scum of the trades sha'n't frighten me away from my forge."
"That's right; let the blackguards bluster. Bayne tells me you have had another anonymous."
"Yes, sir."
"Well, look here: you must take care of yourself, outside the works; but, I'll take care of you inside. Here, Bayne, write a notice that, if any man molests, intimidates, or affronts Mr. Little, in my works, I'll take him myself to the town-hall, and get him two months directly. Have somebody at the gate to put a printed copy of that into every man's hand as he leaves."
"Thank you, sir!" said Henry, warmly. "But ought not the police to afford me protection, outside?"
"The police! You might as well go to the beadle. No; change your lodging, if you think they know it. Don't let them track you home.
Buy a brace of pistols, and, if they catch you in a dark place, and try to do you, give them a barrel or two before they can strike a blow. No one of THEM will ever tell the police, not if you shot his own brother dead at that game. The law is a dead letter here, sir.
You've nothing to expect from it, and nothing to fear."
"Good heavens! Am I in England?"
"In England? No. You are in Hillsborough."