CHAPTER II. Look, as I blow this feather from my face, SHAKSPEARE. MR. HARDY had gone to bed with a strong resolution to keep Mr. Edward Johnson as much as possible out of his house. Though not much given to change his mind he found it impossible in this instance to act up to his determination. Mr. Marshall was by nature indolent and liked to have some one to think and act for him; he had perfect confidence in his young friend, whose intelligence and activity relieved him of much care, and by degrees he suffered the whole management of his affairs to fall into Edward's hands, so that not only was his presence necessary at the frequent conferences which resulted from the common interests of the two proprietors, but business brought him constantly alone to Allerton. His quiet unobtrusive manner ended by putting to rest the unwelcome suspicions awakened on the evening of the merrymaking, and Mr. Hardy returned to his former opinion that the young man could not dare to raise his eyes to the daughter of one so far above him, and the heiress of Allerton House. The position that Edward occupied was a singular one. He had been brought up by an old friend of Mr. Marshall's, of the name of Winstead, a clergyman. It was supposed that this gentleman knew more of Edward's birth than the rest of the world, but if this was the case he kept his own counsel, and it was given out that the child on whom he lavished every attention, was the son of parents who had died abroad, leaving him sole guardian, with power to dispose of the sum provided for maintenance and education, in whatever manner should appear to him to be most advantageous. Edward had accordingly been carefully educated. His fortune was not sufficient to warrant an idle life, even had his guardian wished to inflict such a misfortune upon him and some inquiries had been made with a view to placing the young man in a merchant's house, where he might have risen from the situation of clerk to that of partner, when Mr. Marshall, who had known him from a boy, came forward, offered to take him as secretary, and promised that if he exerted himself no pains should be spared to push him forward. As we have seen Edward did exert himself, and few of his age possessed more practical and scientific knowledge of all relating to the working of coal, and the management of pits. Notwithstanding his success, and Mr. Marshall's kindness, the mystery that at tached to his birth, exposed the young man to many annoyances, of which he was painfully susceptible, and which produced a not altogether favourable effect upon his character. Edward's influence over Mr. Marshall was great, but he found it impossible to introduce into his management of either men or things the improvements which his clear and unprejudiced intellect told him were most desirable. Mr. Marshall was personally popular: his kind manner and indulgent temper were sure to make him so, and perseverance in old ways is generally more acceptable to the uneducated classes than any interruption, however beneficial, of the routine to which they have been long accustomed. At the same time no men were so easily wrought upon as those of Mr. Marshall by the appeals of any unquiet spirit, owing partly to their ignorance, partly to the abuses which were suffered to exist among them. Mr. Hardy's conduct was in every respect the contrary of his neighbour's, for while he spared no pains and no expense to ameliorate the condition of his people, he never condescended to explain to them his motives, but seemed to do what was right by them, more for his own sake than for theirs. It is not, therefore, surprising that he failed to obtain the success which his actions in themselves deserved. Much discontent prevailed at this time in the north of England, and many coal-owners looked with anxiety to the spring when the demand for coals would slacken and wages must consequently fall. Nor were these fears without foundation. All went on quietly for some months after the scene described in our opening chapter; but no sooner did the slackening demand lead to an attempt to reduce wages, than a combination was formed by which the men restricted themselves to the performance of a small amount of work, and that at an exor |