Page:Gaskell - North and South, vol. II, 1855.djvu/151

 were thus led to the place where Nicholas Higgins stood, like one rooted to the spot. The men spoke together, and then one of them came up to Higgins, who would have fain shrunk back into his house.

Higgins, thou knowed him! Thou mun go tell the wife. Do it gently, man, but do it quick, for we canna leave him here long."

"I canna go," said Higgins. "Dunnot ask me. I canna face her."

"Thou knows her best," said the man. "We'n done a deal in bringing him here—thou take thy share."

"I canna do it," said Higgins. "I'm welly felled wi' seeing him. We wasn't friends; and now he's dead."

"Well, if thou wunnot thou wunnot. Some one mun though. It's a dree task; but it's a chance, every minute, as she doesn't hear on it in some rougher way nor a person going to make her let on by degrees, as it were."

"Papa, do you go," said Margaret, in a low voice.

"If I could—if I had time to think of what I had better say; but all at once Margaret saw that her father was indeed unable. He was trembling from head to foot.

"I will go," said she.

"Bless yo', miss, it will be a kind act; for she's been but a sickly sort of body, I hear, and few here-abouts know much on her."

Margaret knocked at the closed door; but there was such a noise, as of many little ill-ordered children, that she could hear no reply; indeed, she doubted if she was heard, and as every moment of