STORY TWO, CHAPTER THREE.
Now this was how old Dick became a cripple.
It was early in winter, and there was a heavy sale on at the rooms, forthe furniture of a noble mansion had been sent up from the country, andbargain-hunters and Jew brokers were there that day in force,chaffering, running down the value of the goods they coveted, andturning the crowded room into a Babel of confusion.
The sale was progressing, and under the superintendence of one JosephBrown, the head porter, the lots had been submitted to competition withease and facility. Old Dick had as usual been working very hard, but,not content to show the others his power, he sought to do more.
"You can't take that there chist o' drawers down," said the head porter,a man most careful in the way in which he looked after the corners andpolish of pieces of furniture, saving them from scratch and chip. Socareful, in fact, was Brown that he had never had time to look after thepolish and corners of her Majesty's English, which he chipped andscratched most terribly. So "you can't take that there chist o' drawersdown," said Brown, "it's too much for you;" and he meant it kindly,though his words were rough.
"You wouldn't ha' talked to me like that ten year ago, Joe Brown!"quavered Dick, turning angrily upon the porter, for he was hurt andannoyed at being spoken to before the other men.
"I didn't mean to hurt the poor old chap," said Brown at home to hiswife that night, "for I like old Dick, who's as honest and true-heartedan old chap as ever stepped. All the years we've been together I neverknew Dick do a man an ill turn; while the way he turns out o' Sundays totake that there granchile of his to a place o' wasshup ought to be apatten for some on us.
"In course I wouldn't ha' spoke to him in that way ten years ago: forwhy? 'cos he could ha' carried the chist o' drawers easily; but 'steado' actin' sensible, he was that proud, bless you, that he wriggledhisself under 'em like a young cuckoo with a hegg, hystes hisself upslowly by taking hold of the bannisters, and then begins to staggerdownstairs.
"`Now then: lot 'underd and two, waitin' for lot 'underd and two,' theycalls out below. `Comin'--comin'--comin',' pants out Dick; and I see asit was too much for the poor old chap, who felt touched at being thoughtpast his work, though the governors only expected him to take down thelight things. So seeing how matters stood, I steps forrard to help him,when if he didn't seem to shut up all at once like; and that there chisto' handsome French-polished mahogany drawers, 'underd and two in thecatalogue, went downstairs a deal too fast for its constitution.
"Poor old Dick! he never groaned nor made no fuss when we got him downto the cab to take him to the 'orsepittle, although his poor old leg wasbroke, through his coming down a whole flight arter that there chist o'handsome French-polished mahogany drawers; but his lips was shaking, andhis face drored as he gets hold of my button and pulls me to him, andsays, says he, `This'll be a sad upset for my Jenny, but don't let 'emfrighten her, Joe Brown, don't please. You're a married man and gotfeeling, though I spoke nasty to you just now. Please go and tell hergently, yourself. O, Joe, I shan't be able to help in many more sales.'
"Poor old chap, how the tears did run down his cheeks as he whispered meagain--
"`Don't say it's much, Joe; tell her it's a bit of a scratch, and sheisn't to fidget about me. Tell her gently, Joe; good bye, Joe; I shallbe over again to-morrow or next day, Joe; and, Joe,' he calls out in hisweak piping way, as the keb begins to move, `Joe,' he says, `just takemy apern and give the lookin'-glass in the big wardrobe a bit of a rubbefore it comes down; and don't forget about Jenny.'
"Poor old Dickey: got his 'art in his work, he had; and somehow as hewent off, and I knew as we shouldn't never see him again at work, if weever see him at all, my nose wanted blowing to that degree that nothingcouldn't be like it; and it's my belief, Sarah, if I hadn't been rousedup by a call for the next lot, that I should have turned soft; for yousee, says I to myself, I says, suppose as that had been me.
"But he told me to tell Jenny gently, and I did."