Catharine Furze

efore 1840, a blind man, Michael Catchpole by name, selling shoelaces. He originally came out of Suffolk, but he had lived in Eastthorpe ever since he was a boy, and had worked

this Mike made his shop; on the left was a little cupboard of a living-room. He kept the shop window open, so that no customer came through the doorway, and he begged some scarlet geranium cuttings, which, in due time, bloomed into brilliant colour on his sitting-room window-sill, proclaiming that from their possessor hope and delight in life had not departed. Alas! the enterprise was a failure. Mike was no hand at driving hard bargains, and frequently, when the Jew from Cambridge came round to sweep up what Mike had been unable to sell in the town, he found himself the worse for his purchases. The unscalable wall was again in front of him, and his foe at his heels, closer than before, and raging for his blood. He had gone out one morning, Tom leading him, and was passing the bank, when the cashier ran out. Miss Foster, one of the maiden ladies who, it will be remembered, lived in the Abbey Close, had left a sovereign on the counter, and the cashier was exceedingly anxious to show his zeal by promptly returning it, for Miss Foster, it will also be remembered, was a daughter of a former partner in the bank, and still, as it was supposed, retained some interest in it. She had gone too far, however, and the cashier could not venture to leave his post and follow her. Knowing Mike and Tom perfectly well, he asked Mike to take the sovereign at once to the lady. He promptly obeyed, and was in time to restore it to its owner before it was missed. She was not particularly sensitive, but the sight of Mike and Tom standing at the hall entrance rather touched her, and she rewarded them with a shilling. She was also pleased to inquire how Mike was getting on, and he briefly told her he did not get on in any way, save as the most unsuccessful happily get on, and so at last terminate their perplexities. Miss Foster, although well-to-do, kept neither footman nor page, and a thought struck her. She abhorred male servants, but it was very often inconvenient to send her maids on errands. She therefore suggested to Mike that, if he and Tom could station themselves within call, they would n

her wont, stopped to have a word or two with her friend Mike. Mike was always at his best on Monday morning. Sunday was a day of rest, but he preferred Monday. It was a deli

tharine, how a

was Miss Catharine

nce I lost my eyes, I could tell. I can make out people's foot

nterest in the wharves

big lighter i

e yellow band round it! that's

d never

ike the most? Foggy, d

ark days were particularly

ay I do, for, you kn

bitte

earn more money on cold days than o

e the

I dodge it, and it's my belief that it wouldn't wo

e you earned

et, Miss, but

enny-piece, part of her pocket-money, twice the market value of the laces, and tripped over

Catchpole lose his

es

"I wish you would not stop on the bridge as you do. It does n

e took n

er do anyth

Mrs. Furze. "What should we do? There was

u take Tom as

um; you know what that means. When a boy is bound apprentice

the back shop who were paid wages, and who were learning their trade.

houldn't you give him wha

ne," said her mo

must, because Mike lost his eyes for you, an

ce with his usual habit he said nothing more, and the mo

d to believe that what she willed was in accordance with the will of the universe - not a healthy education, for the time is sure to come when a destiny which will not bend stands in the path before us, and we are convinced by the roughest processes that what we purpose is to a very small extent the purpose of Nature. The shock then is serious, especially if the collision be postponed ti

but before the date of the first chapter in this h

d to crowd in upon him at once, one thing tumbling incessantly over the other, and nothing staying long enough before him to be settled. Although his business had been fairly large, he had nothing of the faculty of the captain or the manager, who can let details alone and occupy himself with principles. He had a stock of copper bolt-stave in the front shop, and he poked about and pestered the men to know if any of it could be found melted. Then it occurred to him the next instant, and before the inq

oom, very quiet at that time of the morning. "We are better here," said Tom, "if we wa

rse, of

ce; I will write the l

tes this stage of the

o find a shop while

There was not one in the High Street

necessary is to obtain leave; but we shall be sure to get it: only half of it is wanted on market days, and that's the part that isn't shut off. We'll then write t

m had seen his agitation. Accordingly, when a proof of the poster was brought, he was the master, most particularly the master, and observed with much dignity and auth

il a new home could be found, and Mrs. Furze urged her project of t

r go away for a short time until we are settled in the Terrace and the shop is rebui

r. Furze knew that was not Mrs. Furze's reason, but he accepted it. Mrs. Furze knew it was not her own reason, but she also accep

ring what we have gone through. A change would do you good, and you had better go and stay with your

rned herself into a most faithful churchwoman, and went to live at Ely because it was cheap and a cathedral city. Every day, morning and

said Catharine, dismissing without

old you,

wish me to go anywhere, I

u. Ely is a different climate, and I cannot cons

object. Will the new ho

quite determined; no doubt your father will tak

l be what it was before,

your father is so much bothered now; perhaps you will have a room which is a little larger, but I really

t date, the impropriety would be nothing. It is sometimes thought that it is those who habitually speak the truth who are most easily deceived. It is not quite so. If the deceivers are not entirely deceived, they profess acquiescence, and perpetual acquiescence induces half-deception. It is, perhaps, more correct to say that the word deception has no particular meaning for them, and implies a standard which is altogether inapplicable. There is a tacit agreement through all society to say things which nobody believes, and that being the constitution under which we live, it is absurd to talk of truth or falsity in the strict sense of the terms. A thing is t

, I say I can

nd Mrs. Furze, after having told Mrs. Bellamy what was going t