And then it suddenly occurred to John that it was this man’s inquiries which had ended in bringing to his mind his own forgotten name—the name of his childhood, which, for the present, at least, he was not allowed to claim—and this changed his countenance from its lighter aspect to profound gravity. For was not this the object with which he came here, to find out something?—which he was not likely to do wandering about the grimy yard of the foundry.
‘Ah!’ said the man, with a sudden lighting up of his seemingly impassive countenance, ‘I have ye now. Never forgets a face, but don’t always remember where I seen it. Edgeley, where I went to look up my mate’s wife? But where that mate was, I’m not a-goin’ to say now.’ He put his finger against his nose. ‘I warn’t a-minding down there. Bless you, I knew if I’d a-found her, she’d a-bought me off pretty smart, rather than let the story run that I was his mate and where he was. But mum’s the word in the foundry. You won’t peach on a poor man, that is trying to turn a honest penny, and get back his character—will ye, now?’
‘I!’ cried John, with great disdain. ‘I know nothing about you. I only remembered I had seen your face——’
‘And was so kind as to want to know if I was in good ’ealth—which the same to you, young man,’ said the fellow. ‘You wouldn’t give me no help, though, then; and ye might have done it, and no harm.’
‘I couldn’t have helped you; for I knew there was no one of the name you wanted in the village.’
‘Maybe there was, and maybe there wasn’t,’ said the man. ‘There was them belonging to her, if she wasn’t there herself. An old lady come and give me a sov. to go away. She did—she give me a sov.—though if it was for that, or because she thought her blasted village wasn’t good enough for the likes of me—— Give us a shilling, young master, to drink your ’ealth.’
John was so unused to the magnificence of dispensing shillings that he took one mechanically from his pocket in answer to this appeal. But he said before he gave it, with much authority and wisdom,
‘You don’t deserve a shilling, or anything else—if all you wanted was to bring some poor woman to shame.’
‘It was very wrong,’ said the man, with a wink. ‘I know’d you’d think so. But that was only my fun, bless you—and you’re sure there warn’t not one o’ that name in the village, young master? Why, I wanted to give her news of her ’usband as was my mate. You’re sure there warn’t one o’ that name?’