When it was all over he fell back a pace, and a grim surprise, not without its hint of satisfaction, was in his face.
"The devil take you," he said. "You have got some blood in you, after all."
CHAPTER V. THE BEGINNING OF A FRIENDSHIP.
The next morning, when he appeared at the Works, Murdoch found he had to make his way through a group of the "hands" which some sufficiently powerful motive had gathered together,—which group greeted his appearance with signs of interest. "Theer he is," he heard them say. And then a gentleman of leisure, who was an outsider leaning against the wall, enjoying the solace of a short pipe, exerted himself to look round and add his comment.
"Well," he remarked, "he may ha' done it, an' I wunnot stick out as he did na; but if it wur na fur the circumstantshal evidence I would na ha' believed it."
Floxham met him at the entrance with a message.
"Haworth's sent fur thee," he said.
"Where is he?"—coolly enough under the circumstances.