"Oh, I know Brown well enough to know he won't care to come on Sunday, so tell him to come to-night, or join us at the station ready for work on Monday morning."
Collins had hoped that he would be told he need not trouble himself about seeing Brown; but now he had to go to his house, and ask, as something of a favour, that he would take over his job for him, and it was not a pleasant task.
To his relief, however, he heard that Mrs. Brown was out; for when the door was opened to Collins's knock, Brown said—
"The missis is out. I hope your plucky lass is no worse."
The words gratified Collins, and he said, "No, thank ye. Jess is about the same; but I wanted a word with you."
"Come away back, then, and let's hear it. I'm mending some of the youngster's shoes while the missis is out at her marketing." And he led the way through the passage, and handed Collins a seat in the cosy, comfortable kitchen, while he fetched the lamp from the scullery, where he had been doing his shoemaking work.
"Now we can see what we are at," he remarked, as he set it on the table. "Now, what is it I can do for you?" he asked good-naturedly.
"Can you take my job?" asked Collins.
"Your job?" repeated Brown; for he knew that Collins was considered a more highly skilled workman than himself, and received higher wages in proportion, so that to be asked to take up the particular work Collins had been doing greatly surprised him.
"It is a ticklish job, as you know," went on Collins, "and last week there might have been an accident through my hand shaking as it did. Electrical engineering ain't child's play, you know. Well, I had heard that my wife was ill, and that might have caused it; but now I know how bad she is I may be worse, and so I want you to take over the job at once, and let me stay at home and look after things a bit. 'Specially as Jess has got her ankle hurt."