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ed to be your bright days。〃
〃It will come to that； I suppose；〃 said Henry； evading her last observation。 〃Yes；〃 said he； wearily； 〃it will come to that。〃 And he sighed so piteously that she forbore to press him。 She had not the heart to cross…examine her suffering child。
That evening； mother and son sat silent by the fire： Henry had his own sad and bitter thoughts； and Mrs。 Little was now brooding over the words Henry had spoken in the afternoon； and presently her maternal anxieties found a copious vent。 She related to him； one after another； all the outrages that had been perpetrated in Hillsborough； while he was a child； and had been； each in its turn； the town talk。
It was a subject on which； if her son had been older； and more experienced in her sex； he would have closed her mouth promptly； she being a woman whose own nerves had received so frightful a shock by the manner of her husband's death。 But； inadvertently； he let her run on； till she told him how a poor grinder had been carried home to his wife； blinded and scorched with gunpowder； and another had been taken home； all bleeding； to his mother； so beaten and bruised with life…preservers； that he had laid between life and death for nine days； and never uttered one word all that time； in reply to all her prayers and tears。
Now Mrs。 Little began these horrible narratives with a forced and unnatural calmness； but； by the time she got to the last； she had worked herself up to a paroxysm of sympathy with other wretched women in Hillsborough； and trembled all over； like one in an ague； for herself： and at last stretched out her shaking hands； and screamed to him； 〃Oh； Harry； Harry； have pity on your miserable mother！ Think what these eyes of mine have seenbleeding at my feettherethereI see it now〃（her eyes dilated terribly at the word）〃oh； promise me； for pity's sake； that thesesameeyes shall never see YOU brought and laid down bleeding like HIM！〃 With this she went into violent hysterics； and frightened her son more than all the ruffians in the town had ever frightened him。
She was a long time in this pitiable condition； and he nursed her： but at last her convulsion ceased； and her head rested on her son's shoulder in a pitiable languor。
Henry was always a good son： but he never loved his mother so tenderly as he did this night。 His heart yearned over this poor panting soul； so stately in form； yet so weak； so womanly； and lovable； his playmate in childhood； his sweet preceptor in boyhood； the best friend and most unselfish lover he had； or could ever hope to have； on earth； dear to him by her long life of loving sacrifice； and sacred by that their great calamity； which had fallen so much heavier on her than on him。
He soothed her； he fondled her； he kneeled at her feet； and promised her most faithfully he would never be brought home to her bruised or bleeding。 No； if the Unions rejected his offer he would go back to London with her at once。
And so； thrust from Hillsborough by the trades； and by his fears for Miss Carden； and also drawn from it by his mother's terrors； he felt himself a feather on the stream of Destiny； and left off struggling： beaten； heart…sick； and benumbed； he let the current carry him like any other dead thing that drifts。
He still plied the hammer； but in a dead…alive way。
He wrote a few cold lines to Mr。 Jobson； to say that he thought it was time for a plain answer to be given to a business proposal。 But； as he had no great hope the reply would be favorable； he awaited it in a state bordering on apathy。 And so passed a miserable week。
And all this time she； for whose sake he denied himself the joy and consolation of her company； though his heart ached and pined for it； had hard thoughts of him； and vented them too to Jael Dence。
The young are so hasty in all their judgments。
While matters were in this condition； Henry found； one morning； two fresh panes of glass broken in his window。
In these hardware works the windows seldom or never open： air is procured in all the rooms by the primitive method of breaking a pane here and a pane there； and the general effect is as unsightly as a human mouth where teeth and holes alternate。 The incident therefore was nothing； if it had occurred in any other room； but it was not a thing to pass over in this room； secured by a Bramah lock； the key of which was in Henry's pocket： the panes must have been broken from the outside。 It occurred to him directly that a stone had been thrown in with another threatening scrawl。
But； casting his eye all round； he saw nothing of the kind about。
Then； for a moment； a graver suspicion crossed his mind： might not some detonating substance of a nature to explode when trodden upon； have been flung in？ Hillsborough excelled in deviltries of this kind。
Henry thought of his mother； and would not treat the matter lightly or unsuspiciously。 He stood still till he had lighted a lucifer match； and examined the floor of his room。 Nothing。
He lighted a candle； and examined all the premises。 Nothing。
But； when he brought his candle to the window； he made a discovery： the window had two vertical iron uprights； about three…quarters of an inch in circumference： and one of these revealed to his quick eye a bright horizontal line。 It had been sawed with a fine saw。
Apparently an attempt had been made to enter his room from outside。
The next question was； had that attempt succeeded。
He tried the bar； it was not quite cut through。
He locked the forge up directly； and went to his handling room。 There he remained till Mr。 Cheetham entered the works； then he went to him； and begged him to visit his forge。
Mr。 Cheetham came directly； and examined the place carefully。
He negatived； at once； the notion that any Hillsborough hand had been unable to saw through a bar of that moderate thickness。 〃No；〃 said he； 〃they were disturbed； or else some other idea struck them all of a sudden； or else they hadn't given themselves time； and are coming again to…morrow。 I hope they are。 By six o'clock to…night； I'll have a common wooden shutter hung with six good hinges on each side； easy to open at the center； only； across the center； I'll fix a Waterloo cracker inside。〃
〃A Waterloo cracker！〃
〃Ay； but such a one as you never saw。 I shall make it myself。 It shall be only four inches long； but as broad as my hand； and enough detonating powder in it to blow the shutter fifty feet into the air： and if there should be one of Jobson's lads behind the shutter at the time； why he'll learn flying； and naught to pay for wings。〃
〃Why； sir； you are planning the man's death！〃
〃And what is HE planning？ Light your forge； and leave the job to me。 I'm Hillsborough too； and they've put my blood up at last。〃
While Henry lighted his forge； Mr。 Cheetham whipped out a rule； and measured the window exactly。 This done； he went down the stairs； and crossed the yard to go to his office。
But； before he could enter it； a horrible thing occurred in the room he had just left； so horrible； it made him； brave as he was； turn and scream like a woman。
Some miscreant； by a simple but ingenious means； which afterward transpired； had mixed