But I was saved in some degree from this lowering
of my pride, and what mattered more, of mother’s;
for going to buy with my last crown-piece (after all
demands were paid) a little shot and powder, more needful
on the road almost than even shoes or victuals, at
the corner of the street I met my good friend Jeremy
Stickles, newly come in search of me. I took
him back to my little room—mine at least
till to-morrow morning—and told him all
my story, and how much I felt aggrieved by it.
But he surprised me very much, by showing no surprise
at all.
“It is the way of the world, Jack. They
have gotten all they can from thee, and why should
they feed thee further? We feed not a dead pig,
I trow, but baste him well with brine and rue.
Nay, we do not victual him upon the day of killing;
which they have done to thee. Thou art a lucky
man, John; thou hast gotten one day’s wages,
or at any rate half a day, after thy work was rendered.
God have mercy on me, John! The things I see
are manifold; and so is my regard of them. What
use to insist on this, or make a special point of
that, or hold by something said of old, when a different
mood was on? I tell thee, Jack, all men are liars;
and he is the least one who presses not too hard on
them for lying.”
This was all quite dark to me, for I never looked
at things like that, and never would own myself a
liar, not at least to other people, nor even to myself,
although I might to God sometimes, when trouble was
upon me. And if it comes to that, no man has
any right to be called a “liar” for smoothing
over things unwitting, through duty to his neighbour.
“Five pounds thou shalt have, Jack,” said
Jeremy Stickles suddenly, while I was all abroad with
myself as to being a liar or not; “five pounds,
and I will take my chance of wringing it from that
great rogue Spank. Ten I would have made it,
John, but for bad luck lately. Put back your
bits of paper, lad; I will have no acknowledgment.
John Ridd, no nonsense with me!”
For I was ready to kiss his hand, to think that any
man in London (the meanest and most suspicious place,
upon all God’s earth) should trust me with five
pounds, without even a receipt for it! It overcame
me so that I sobbed; for, after all, though big in
body, I am but a child at heart. It was not the
five pounds that moved me, but the way of giving it;
and after so much bitter talk, the great trust in
my goodness.
