The Railway Girl. Nancy Carson

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СКАЧАТЬ want to see me.’

      ‘I generally see my friend Miriam …’

      ‘I don’t know this Miriam, do I?’

      ‘Not that I know of, but you might.’

      ‘What do you do when you see her?’

      ‘We go somewhere. Generally Dudley. We went to Wolverhampton today on the train.’

      ‘Wolverhampton? What’s the point of going there?’

      ‘To have a look round. I bought a new Sunday frock in Wolverhampton.’

      ‘Oh, a new Sunday frock.’ He grinned hopefully. ‘Then you’ll have to meet me when you’re wearing it, so’s I can have a gander at you.’

      He caught her flattered smile in the spilled light from a window, and was again heartened.

      She shrugged resignedly. Arthur was not going to be easy to shake off. ‘But what about your poorly back?’ she asked.

      ‘It don’t stop me walking, does it? Nor will it stop me working next week either … more’s the pity.’

      ‘All right,’ she agreed softly, relenting.

      ‘And you’ll wear your new frock for me?’

      ‘Yes, all right. Where shall we go?’

      ‘Depends on the weather, I expect. If it’s fine we could walk to Kingswinford over the fields.’

      ‘But not if it’s cold and raining.’ There was a plea in her voice.

      ‘Then I’ll take you to a few graveyards so you can see what it’s like working there in the cold and wet.’

      ‘No, you won’t,’ she declared emphatically. ‘So where will you take me?’

      ‘I’ll think of somewhere.’

      Arthur spotted an opportunity to inveigle himself into Lucy’s heart as he sat in the Bell Hotel after church the following Sunday morning. A man, whom he knew vaguely, was showing a very young mongrel pup to another customer, and they were bartering for it.

      ‘I’ll give thee a shilling,’ Arthur heard the second man say.

      ‘Two and a tanner and the mutt’s yourn,’ replied the first man.

      ‘Two and a tanner for a mutt? No, a bob’s me limit.’

      ‘But it’s mother’s got a lovely nature.’

      ‘So’s mine. But what d’you know about it’s fairther?’

      Arthur stood up with his tankard of beer and made his way towards the men. ‘Excuse me, but if this gentleman don’t want the pup, I’ll give you a florin for it,’ he said hesitantly.

      The second man looked at him curiously. ‘If yo’m saft enough to pay that much for a mutt, then yo’m welcome.’

      ‘Two and a tanner is what I’m asking,’ the seller reaffirmed, instantly able to recognise somebody bent on making a purchase. ‘I’ll not budge on that.’

      Arthur sighed. Two shillings and sixpence was just too much, especially in view of the extra expense he was committed to because of the two wrongly inscribed headstones he’d had to pay for. Besides, he would look a fool if he bid higher when the other man was only prepared to spend a shilling. ‘Ah well,’ he said. ‘That’s all I’m prepared to pay.’ Disappointed, he moved away from the two men to resume his seat.

      ‘Fair enough,’ the seller called after him. ‘I’ll tek the little bugger home with me then and drown it, like I drowned the other four out the litter. I kept this’n ’cause it was the strongest, but if nobody wants it …’

      Arthur turned around, a look of astonishment on his face. ‘You wouldn’t drown it, would you?’

      ‘It’d cost money to keep it. Course I’d drown it.’

      ‘But then you’d have neither the pup nor any money for it,’ Arthur argued logically.

      The man shrugged. ‘That’s up to me. Why should it concern you?’

      ‘Because there’s no logic in it. I’ve just offered you two bob, but rather than accept it, you’d rather drown the poor little mite. I hope you can sleep in your bed at night,’ he added indignantly

      ‘I hope you can sleep in yourn,’ the man replied with equal resentment, ‘when for an extra tanner you could have saved it.’

      Arthur smiled in acknowledgement of the way the owner of the puppy had turned the tables on him. He felt in his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins, counted out two shillings and sixpence, and offered the money. ‘Here … I couldn’t have the poor little thing on my conscience for the sake of another tanner.’

      The exchange was made, the man pocketed the money and, with a self-satisfied grin, turned to the second man. ‘It generally works, does that ploy,’ he said quietly.

      Arthur held the little bundle of fur in one hand and stroked its head gently with the other. ‘I know somebody who’ll just love you,’ he said softly to the puppy.

      That afternoon, he put the puppy in his jacket pocket and walked to Bull Street, trying to imagine Lucy’s delight at seeing it. As he approached the Piddocks’ cottage, Bobby their sheepdog sauntered up to him sniffing suspiciously.

      ‘I got a little pal for you,’ he murmured to the old dog. ‘Just you wait and see.’

      He tapped on the door and Lucy opened it with a smile. ‘I thought it would be you,’ she said. ‘Come on in.’

      ‘Is that your new frock?’ he asked, stepping over the threshold.

      ‘Yes,’ she answered expectantly. ‘Do you like it?’

      ‘The colour I like, it matches your eyes. I like the shape of it as well, but it could never outdo those blue eyes of yours, Lucy.’

      ‘But do you think it looks nice?’

      ‘I think you look lovely in it, yes.’

      ‘You do say lovely things sometimes.’

      Inside, the smell of dinner still lingered, but as usual, the place was clean and tidy. Haden came in from the privy, greeted Arthur and sat on the settle.

      ‘How’s your back?’ Hannah enquired of Arthur.

      ‘Tolerable, Mrs Piddock, thank you.’

      ‘Would you like me to rub it with some goose grease? That would ease it, I reckon.’

      ‘That’s very kind, Mrs Piddock, but I’d better not. I’ve got a clean vest on today.’ He turned to Lucy. ‘I brought you a present, Lucy,’ he said proudly and felt in his jacket pocket. With a broad grin, he pulled out the warm bundle of fur.

      ‘Oh, СКАЧАТЬ