Page:Armatafragment00ersk.djvu/265

 ¬saw sitting at the door two poor labouring men, seemingly in the greatest pain from over fatigue; they made no complaint of their employer, who had not tasked them beyond their contract, but they were obviously unable, from extreme weak- ness, to reach their homes, though not far dis- tant. — Soon afterwards I missed Cathmor; and as he did not return at the hour our supper was pro- vided, I waited for him with impatience, fearing that some accident had befallen him. — It was night when he appeared, and although he put aside all my inquiries as to his absence, yet I saw from his countenance he had been much affected; and soon afterwards the cause of his distress could no longer be concealed, as he was surrounded at the door of our apartment by two large families, who with their poor mothers were embracing his knees, and though I could not understand what they said, were obviously invoking bless- ings upon his head : — they were the wives and children of the poor labourers whom I found he had carried home, and given them money to sup- port them until they were able to work with ¬d 3 comfort. ¬ /n