Anna of the Five Towns

lay asleep under the blue-and-white counterpane, on the side of the bed next the wall, the bed-clothes pushed down and disclosing the upper half of her night-gowned

innocence and childish security, and then, deposit

up vast wreaths of yellow flame with canopies of tinted smoke. Still more distant were a thousand other lights crowning chimney and kiln, and nearer, on the waste lands west of Bleakridge, long fields of burning ironstone glowed with all the strange colours of decadence. The entire landscape was illuminated and transformed by these unique pyrotech

and its inconceivable littleness, as millions had done before in the presence of that same firmament. Then, after a time, her brain resumed its nightmare-like task. She began to probe herself anew. Would it have availed if she had walked publicly to the penitential form at the Communion rail, and, ranging herself with the worki

tion, so let it be. Suddenly, half-glad, she knelt down and prayed, prayed that pride might be cast out, burying her face in the coverlet and caging the passionate effusion in a whisper lest Agnes should be disturbed. H

ould distinguish every object in the room, all the bits of furniture which had been bought from Hanbridge and with which she had been familiar since her memory began: everything appeared mean, despicable, cheerless; there was no

milky clouds sailed in the vast pallid blue. It was cool just then, and she shivered. She went to the glass, and examined her face carefully, but it gave no signs whatever of the inward warfare. She saw her plain and mended night-gown. Suppose she were married to Mynors! Suppose he lay asleep in the bed where Agnes lay asleep! Involuntarily she glanced at Agnes to certify that the child and none else was indeed there, and got into bed hurriedly and hid herself beca

the first time. It was the announcement of a prayer-meeting for workers in the Revival, to be held that (Saturday) morning at seven o'clock. She instantly decided to go to the meeting, and the decision seemed to give her new hope. Perhaps there she might find peace. O

e child asked sleepi

o'clock prayer-meeting. And you mu

ented, glad o

going to the pra

'I must go,' she said quietly at le

w?' Agnes enquir

, d

ly downstairs and along the passage,

c had not begun, and blinds were still drawn; and though the footpaths were busy the street had a deserted and forlorn aspect. Anna walked hastily down the road, avoiding the glances of such as looked at her, but peering furtively at the faces of those who ignored her. All seemed callous-hoggishly careless of the everla

erfunctory and fatigued. He gave out a verse, and pitched the tune-too high, but the singers with a heroic effect accomplished the verse without breaking down. The singing was thin and feeble, and the eagerness of one or two voices seemed strained, as though with a determination to make the best of things. Mynors was not present, and Anna did not know whether to be sorry or glad at this. She recognised that save herself all present were old believers, tried warriors of the Lord. There was only one other woman, Miss Sarah Vodrey, an aged spinster who kept house for Titus Price and his son, and found her sole diversion in the variety of her religious experiences. Before the hymn was finished a you

and a pause ensued

said in a tone o

sister

pause

r Tell

last Sarah Vodrey gave a preliminary cough. Miss Vodrey was always happy to pray aloud, and her invocations usually began w

r-meeting? It was like coming out of prison. Peace was farther off than ever. Nay, she had actually forgotten her soul in the sensations of shame and discomfort. She had

had but be

opposite the chapel, a man in a white smock stood placidly smoking a pipe. A prayer-meeting was a little thing, a trifle in the immense and regular activity of the town: this thought necessarily occurred to Anna. She hurried homewards, wondering what her father wo

a scrap, and father's fearfully angry. He gave me sixpence, an

breakfast-things on the tray ready for setting; the bread was cut, the coffee portioned into the jug; the fire burned bright, and the kettle sang. Anna took the cloth from the drawer in the oak dresser, and went to the parlour to lay the table. Mr. Tellwright was at the end of the garden, pointing the wall, his back to the house. The table set, Anna observed that the roo

na bearing the bacon and hot plates, Agnes the bread and coffee. Mr. Tellwright sat upright and ferocious in his chair, the image of offence and wrath. Instead of reading his letters he had fed full of this ineffable grievance. The meal began in a desolating silence. The male creature's terrible displeasure permeated the whole room like an ether, invisible but carrying vibrations to the heart. Then, when he had eaten one piece of bacon, and cut his envelopes, the miser began to empty himself of some of his anger in stormy tones that might have uprooted trees. Anna ought to fee

ence. Agnes, her tears falling, pecked her food timidly like a bir

wright inquired fiercely when A

, at a loss, but vaguely a

ye se

, fa

ive him m

n heaven! She had fo

ared the table, exchanging sympathy with a single mute glance. Anna's one satisfaction w

n angry god behind a cloud. The consciousness that he was there, unappeased and dangerous, remaine

es ran to him from the kitchen

, fa

to Price's, and don't

, fa

ty minutes. Anna was

ting himself. At the butcher's and in the St. Luke's covered market he was a familiar and redoubtable figure. Among the salespeople who stood the market was a wrinkled, hardy old potato-woman from the other side of Moorthorne: every Saturday the miser bested her i

pert in all the symptoms of his moods, they knew that in a few hours he would begin to talk again, at first in monosyllables, an

gotten to give him, and she had a hope that he would come in the afternoon: once again she had the idea that something definite and satisfactory might result if she could only see him-that she might, as it were, gather inspiration from the mere sight of his face. After

' said Agn

asked, self-

y, making it quite plain that this affectation

ried her hands, doffed her apron, and went to the parlour, animated by a t

ed her with conspicuous deference, a

n saved th' trouble o' calling. Now as ye're here, I've summat for tell ye. It 'll be Anna's money as 'll go into that concern o' yours. I've none by me; in fact, I'm a'

nors. For a moment he seemed to be at a loss; then his fa

this business then

her has told me s

willing to be

lwright interrupted. 'It 'll b

Anna's money, why should not she be the partner?'

nna began in

he said, 'why not? It 'll

o,' sai

child who is being talke

r that arrangement

es,' s

ointed. Two thousand pounds is of course only a trifle to you, but it is a great deal to me, and-and--' He hesitated. An

ntly, 'and that's the interest on th' capital, as must be d

tled it at five,' said My

fifteen hundred,' the miser replied with imp

ly, and agreed that the interest should be the sa

mun have our six. We

ess, had utilized the effect on Mynors of his daughter's presence to regain a position from which the young

ivate smile at Anna to indicate that it w

ion. He, too, smiled at Anna, sardonically: the last vestig

el at three. Our Revivalist came down with Mrs. Sutton to look over the works this mor

owd enough to leav

o the verge of rashness,

me.' She looked him straight in the face. It was one of the bravest acts of her life. After the episode of breakfast, to suggest a procedure whi

r, Mr. Mynors?'

' said

him, and make a bargain wi' him for th' partnership deed. He always

s ass

over the works,' he said to Anna as they wer

replied. 'I've never been

in the best works of its size in Bu

e smiled, 'for I do be

ce's do y

no

. I'm afraid it isn't quite the best of properties. But perhaps I'd better say nothing about that. We had

she sai

oyed the

ut, dismayed but re

was a

early prayer-meeting

hey took a dozen paces,

or a second, her

erhaps-excuse me saying this-but

him, prepared now to fi

I never had it. What is called conversion can happen in various ways. It is a question of living, of constant endeavour, with the example of Christ always before u

ure or the project of the partnership had been able to divert her from the plight of her soul. Putting these mundane things firmly behind her, she concentrated the activities of her brain on that idea of Christ-like living, day by day, hour by hour, of a gradual aspiration towards Christ and thereby an ultimate arrival at the state of being saved. This she thought she might accomplish; this gave opportunity of immediate effort, disp

door. Agnes ran to open, and found Willie Price. It had begun to rain, and the visitor, his jack

ce wants to se

ioned to her t

Anna,' he said. 'It

s he come ab

twenty pun' on Monday morning certain, or us should distrain. Them as ca

se he says

can screw another fifty out o' him, that 'll only leave six months rent owing; then us can turn him out. He'll go bankrupt; us can claim for our

aimed. It was the only part of the ing

said la

ve driven Titus Price in

ys, well

tter see Mr. W

ill precarious, insecurely re-established, and Anna obediently left the room. Aft

o the front parlour: nervousness always made her seem harsh and

me this way,

as falling, and the room in shadow. She forgot to ask him

t,' he began, twisting his hat. '

es

ed to be at the prayer-meeting this morning, but coul

kind to him, to reassure him, to make him happy and comfortable, so ludicrous and touching were his efforts after

term, 'the dad,' uttered in William's slow, drawling voice, seemed to show Titus Price in a new light to Anna, as a human creature lo

about t

' he

you will

r property, but I thought Mr. Tellwright always saw after it fo

d. She did not exp

nother twenty po

' she

ten las

still over a h

llwright, you mustn't be

that trade is improving,'

left. I assure you, Miss Tellwright, my father and me are having a hard st

her father, rich, powerful, autocratic; and there were Willie Price and his father, commercial hares hunted by hounds of creditors, hares that turned in plaintive appeal to those greedy jaws for mercy. And yet, she, a hound, envied at that moment the hares. Blessed are the meek, blessed are the failures, blessed are the stupid, for they, unknown to themselves, have a grace which is denied to the haughty, the successful, a

g the young man's fears, of being considerat

e said, 'we will spend it all, eve

answered with fatal em

ess. What was she to do now? Left to herself, she might have said in a burst of impulsive gener

k you can pay on Mond

are, as though he were trembling before the anticipated decree of this implacable old man. Anna's heart beat with sym

. Anna caught a glance from him dismissing her. She went out i

a corruption