The Nether World

greet the new-comer, changed sudd

een doing to your hai

d the look of one worn out with anxiety and hardship; the lines engraven upon his face were of extraordinary depth and frequency; there seemed to be little flesh between the dry skin and the bones which sharply outlined his visage. The lips were, like those of his son, prominent and nervous, but none of Bob's shrewdness was here discoverable; feeling rather than intellect appeared to be the father's characteristic. His

he nodded towards his wife, and

o smile. 'He thought one of the reasons why h

s Sam Lang couldn't even get a job at gardenin' 'cause his hair was a bit turned. It was him as told me what to do. "Dye your hair, Jack," he says; "it's what I've had to myself," he says. "They won't have old men nowadays, at no price." Why, t

ard the complaint from too many men

' pursued John, 'what else can you expect? The old uns have to giv

on the fire, and began to a

f, John,' she said. 'You'll be

o be up an' about? You need a good deal more tak

chest of drawers, and at length he was persuaded to go into the other room and change. When he returned, the meal was ready. It consisted of a scrap of cold steak, left over from yesterday, and still upon the original dish amid congealed fat; a spongy half-quartern loaf, that species of baker's bread of which a great quantity can be consumed with small effect on the appetite; a shapeless piece of something pu

mature Amy presided. Hewett ate the morsel of meat, evidently without thinking about it; he crumbled a

he asked at lengt

rtime,' replied his wife.

. As soon as the meal was over, Amy, Annie, and Tom were sent off to bed. They occupied the second room, together with Clara; Bob shared the bed of a fellow-workman upstairs. This was great extravagance, o

persuaded to lie down upon the bed. 'Walked to Enfleld an' back. I was told of a job out there; but it's no good; they're

er again?' asked Sidney, a

h every other word, an' keep tellin' him as he's your Providence on earth, an' as you don't know how ever you'd get on without him-well, it's all square, an' he'll keep you on the job. Th

th Hewett's sore and impracticable pride. His own temper did not err in the direction of meekness, but as he looked round the room he felt that a home s

ndin' at Gorbutt's door, there was five hundred! Don't you believe me? You go an' ask them as lives about there. If there was one, there was five hundred! Why, the p'lice had to come an' keep the road clear. Fifteen bob! What was the use o' me standin' there, outside the crowd? What was the use, I say? Such a lot o' poor starvin' devils you never saw brought together in all your life. There they was, lookin' ready to fight with one another for

' cried his wife, sobbing miserably. '

ed up and w

dney told him that it was half-past nine, he exclaimed,

s,' replied his wife, in a lo

to be there? Who gave

then the latter with hesitation and timidity told of Mrs. Tubbs's

t have my girl go for a barmaid, so there

d better make a few inquiries, at all events? You see, it isn't exactly a barmaid's place. I mean to say, Mrs. Tubbs do

regarded him w

hat's made you come round like this? I s'pose you've go

rily, but before he could make a

sense than that, don't talk at all. He don't mean it

ernly but with self-command, 'let him say what he

th more than the usual doggedness. Then he addressed S

ere's not much heed paid to fathers nowadays. What have you got to say about

speak at once, but an appealing

r a month's trial. If you persist in refusing her, mark my words, you'll be sorry. I've thought it all over, and I know what I'm talking about. The girl can't put up with the work room any longer. It's ruining her health, for one thing, any

ered to her? She's no need to go neither to workroom nor to bar. There's a good home waiting fo

by waiting; we won't talk about that any more. Think of her quite apart from me, and what I've been hoping. She's seventeen years old. You can't deal with a girl of that age like you can with Amy and Annie. You'll have to trust her, Mr. Hewett. You'll have to, because there's no help for it. We're working people, we are; we're the lower orders; our girls have

k brow, his eyes

ys, father,' put in Mrs. H

self. She knows other fathers don't go on in that way. And now she wants more freedom, she feels it worse than other girls do when you begin to deny her. Talk to her in a different way; talk as if you trus

to the father's feelings. The expression of pain on his forehead and about his lips testified to the sincerity with which he urged his views, at the same time to a lurking fear lest impulse should be misl

eyes; Mrs. Hewett examined her with apprehension. Having carelessly closed the door with a push, she placed her umbrella in the corner and began to unbutton her gloves. Her attitude was one of affected u

been, Clara?'

wing off her gloves and rolled them up by turnin

to see Mr

leave?' asked Hewe

he was coming here to speak to you or mother,

r eyebrows were the points that first drew attention, conveying an idea of force of character. The eyes themselves were hazel-coloured, and, whatever her mood, preserved a singular pathos of expression, a look as of self-pity, of unconscious appeal against some injustice. In contrast with this her lips were defiant, insolent, unscrupulous; a shadow of the naivete of childhood still lingered upon the

t; beneath was a brown dress with one row of kilting. She wore a hat of brown felt, the crown rising from back to front, the narrow brim closely turned up all round. The high collar of the jacket alone sheltered her neck. Her gloves, though wo

impotent wrath. He smote the table violentl

told you you're not to go nowhere without my leave or your mother's? Do you pay

hair was elaborately dressed. Drawn up from the neck, it was disposed in thick plaits upon the top of her head; in front were a few

d laid his hands rough

will you? Spe

as if in apprehension of harm to the girl, but his interference was unneeded. Hewett recovered his self-control as soon as Clara repelled him. It was the first time he had ever laid a hand upon one of his children other than gently; his exasperation came of over-tried nerves, of the experiences he had

the face he loved best of all! yet at this moment he was searching it vainly for the lineaments that were familiar to him. Something had changed her, had hardened her against hi

wrong between us, Clara? Haven't I always done my best for you? I

r former self-possession. 'You treat me as if I was a baby. I want to know what yo

his chair. Before Hew

ave you to talk

Clara had just glanced at the young man, slightly raising her eyebrows, but at once looked away again with a careless movement of the head. 'He says what it's hard an' cruel for me to believe, though I half be

is child. Serious resistance brought out for the first time all the selfish forces of her nature. She was prepared to go all lengths rather than submit, now the question of her liberty had once been broached. Already there was a plan in her mind for quitting home, regardless of all the misery she would cause, reckless of what future might be in store for herself. But the first sign of yielding on her father's part touched the gentler elements of her nature. Thus was she constituted; merciless in egotism w

and I won't stand in the way of what you've set your mind on. But understand, Clar

oked at the young man with so

an being can answer for another in the real meaning of the word; but I take upon myself to say that Clara will bring

of the dirty white cloth. She bit her under-lip in the manner already described,

was rather good-humoured than the reverse. 'I'm sure I don't want anybody to answer for me.' A slight toss

atures! It gave gentleness to the mouth, and, by making more manifest the intelligent light of her eyes, emphasised the singular pathos inseparable from their regard. It was a

o well; he averted his face.

rs. Tubbs. It isn't late, and she'd

exclaimed Mrs. Hewett, who had follo

n her hat again. Then she said, 'I won't b

id not l

art of the way with you

ly, if y

ined' Good-night,' and f