Page:Gaskell - North and South, vol. II, 1855.djvu/189

 be thanfu' to yo' if yo'd give me work. Hamper will speak to my being a good hand."

"I've a notion you'd better not send me to Hamper to ask for a character, my man. I might hear more than you'd like."

"I'd take th' risk. Worst they could say of me is, that I did what I thought best, even to my own wrong."

"You'd better go and try them, then, and see whether they'll give you work. I've turned off up-wards of a hundred of my best hands, for no other fault than following you, and such as you; and d'ye think I'll take you on? I might as well put a fire-brand into the midst of the cotton-waste."

Higgins turned away; then the recollection of Boucher came over him, and he faced round with the greatest concession he could persuade himself to make.

"I'd promise yo', measter, I'd not speak a word as could do harm, if so be yo' did right by us; and I'd promise more: I'd promise that when I seed yo' going wrong, and acting unfair, I'd speak to yo' in private first; and that would be a fair warning. If yo' and I did na agree in our opinion o' your conduct, yo' might turn me off at an hour's notice."

"Upon my word, you don't think small beer of yourself! Hamper has had a loss of you. How came he to let you and your wisdom go?"

Well, we parted wi' mutual dissatisfaction. I wouldn't gi'e the pledge they were asking; and they wouldn't have me at no rate. So I'm free to make another engagement; and as I said before, though I should na' say it, I'm a good hand, measter, and a