. . . . .<\/p>\r\nThis conversation between Jane and Mr Broglie had not been unremarked by other persons; as a matter of fact, some of the tenants had done their best to overhear every word of it. In more than one room that night it was made the subject of laughter and comment. \u201cShe is tryin' to get a good \u2018intended,\u2019\u201d was the general conclusion; \u201cbut a young man like him don't want a gurl like she. Him can get better.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cShe is young but she is bold,\u201d was what was also said; \u201cshe not waiting for him to court her; she<\/i> courting him.\u201d\r\n\r\nJane guessed pretty closely what was being said, and resented this interference with her business. There was a perceptible coldness in her manner the next morning when she greeted some of her neighbours. On their part there was a display of meaning smiles, and one or two of them sneered. But of course they said nothing, having long since learnt the wisdom of pretending to mind their own business.\r\n\r\nMr Curden was very nice to her that day, asking her of him last night. She replied spiritedly: \u201cI didn't even think of you!\u201d which pleased him much, as, in his opinion, her manner signified that she had been thinking of nothing else. She began to dislike him now, and her dislike took the form of wishing to see him well beaten. Severe corporal punishment was Jane's conception of poetic justice.\r\n\r\nThat evening she dressed again; but this time she waited for Vincent outside the gate. He saw her as he came up the lane, and knew she was waiting for him. \u201cThat girl is laying herself careless with me,\u201d he observed to himself; nevertheless he was pleased and flattered. He was a favourite with the sex, and many of those he knew would have looked down upon Jane. But he saw that she was a very decent girl, and it came into his mind that it might not be a bad thing to add her to the number of ladies to whom he was more or less attached. But courting meant expenditure with him, for he was not mean. And just then he had neither time nor money to spare.\r\n\r\n\u201cWaiting for me?\u201d he asked when he reached the gate. \u201cDon't you know I am a bad man?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cYou don't look bad,\u201d she replied. \u201cThere is many worse than you. Y'u promise to teck me for a drive last night; so I dress in case you wanted to go to-night.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cNot to-night,\u201d he answered. \u201cI have to go out presently, and to-morrow morning I am going to Montego Bay.\u201d\r\n\r\nThis was calamitous news. \u201cWhen y'u coming back, Mr Broglie?\u201d she asked, her disappointment betraying itself in her voice.\r\n\r\n\u201cNot before Saturday! I have to arrange some business connected with the strike. You hear about the strike?\u201d\r\n\r\nShe had not, but she had some idea of what a strike was; she connected it with losing one's job.\r\n\r\n\u201cBut what you have to do wid a strike?\u201d she asked him, thus touching upon a subject that was very near to his heart at that moment.\r\n\r\n\u201cEverything,\u201d he assured her. \u201cAll the people in my trade going to strike, and we are going to win too. We have put up with a lot, but now no more advantage is going to be taken of us.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe mention of that word advantage reminded Jane of her own grievance against Curden.\r\n\r\n\u201cWorse advantage can be taken of a gurl than a man,\u201d she replied. \u201cIf I was to tell y'u what them trying to do wid me, you would sorry for me.\u201d\r\n\r\nVincent was somewhat pressed for time that evening, but as he and his colleagues were just then preparing to utter a vigorous protest against the existing conditions of labour, his sympathy went out to all workers of no matter what class.\r\n\r\n\u201cTell me about it,\u201d he said; \u201cthey are trying to rob you?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cWorse than that,\u201d said Jane, glad to have the opportunity of enlisting him against Curden. \u201cIt's bad enough if them rob you; but when\u2014\" She stopped short, not quite knowing how to tell her story.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen what?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cI doan't know what to say, for y'u may think it is my fault. You know a man name Curden, Mr Vin?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cNo; what about him?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cHim is de foreman at de place I workin' at, an' him is a married man. Him over forty, an' just fancy what him say to me yesterday?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cWell, how can I know if you don't tell me?\u201d asked the young man impatiently.\r\n\r\n\u201cHim want me to\u2014to\u2014\"\r\n\r\nShe stammered, hesitating, and Vincent burst into a peal of laughter.\r\n\r\n\u201cOh! I see,\u201d he said. \u201cHim want you, and you don't want him, eh? Well, why don't you tell him so? You don't like him?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cNo. But I can't afford to quarrel wid him, for him is low enough to discharge me if him get vex. That is why I say that worse advantage is taken of me than you.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cThat's what you say, but you don't know,\u201d asserted Vincent; \u201cbut of course you are not in a safe position. What you going to do?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cI doan't know. I want you to advise me.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cI can't do that. A man shouldn't advise anybody else if him can't back up his advice; and if I was to tell you to send Curden about his business, and you lose you' job, you would blame me. I am sorry for you, though. Well, I have to be moving on, as I got some important business to attend to. Perhaps it will be all right with Curden. Don't fret.\u201d\r\n\r\nHe nodded to her and went inside, leaving her profoundly depressed. She had asked him for help, and he had none to give. He had shown, if not said, that her predicament was none of his business, and had left her to manage her little affair as best she could. She remained standing there till he came out again, but he did not stop to speak to her this time. He had a portmanteau in his hand, and merely told her good-night as he hurried away.","rendered":"
\u201cI suppose you think you are smart, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI doan’t understand y’u, Mr Curden.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou understand me well enough. You can’t tell me y’u didn’t see me yesterday, and y’u know I see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I did see you, when I were coming from de burial ground, but I doan’t know what that have to do wid smartness. I told you I was goin’ to a funeral on Saturday mornin’, an’ when you saw me yesterday I was comin’ from de funeral. So I doan’t see what you can mean about I think I am smart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou needn’t form that you don’t understand what I am saying, for I see in your face that y’u do. Why didn’t you tell me plain the other day that you have an \u2018intended\u2019? First, y’u say you are living with you’ parents, and I find out that you’ parents are not in Kingston at all; now you want to talk about a funeral when I am talking about your young man. What you pretending for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no young man, Mr Curden,\u201d answered Jane. \u201cThe gentleman y’u saw me wid yesterday mornin’ was a young man dat living in the same yard wid meself, an’ him and me teck de dead baby to de cemetery. I never know him before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Curden laughed scornfully, to intimate that whoever else might be deceived by such a story, he was not likely to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell!\u201d he exclaimed, shaking his head slowly as he looked Jane full in the face, half-angrily, half-admiringly, \u201cyou are a soon one, though! You look so quiet and so innocent, as if butter wouldn’t melt in you’ mouth; and you like to live with you’ parents, and you must go home early every evening! You belong to church too, don’t you? An’ your pupa take round the collection plate? And you teach in a Sunday school?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jane’s lips trembled with anger, and it was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears. It cut her to the quick to be ridiculed like this, and with her feeling of anger and sense of humiliation was mingled the fear lest the foreman should find some excuse for sending her about her business. She answered him nothing, but waited to hear what next he might have to say.<\/p>\n
He saw that she was angry, and thought that, perhaps, she might be speaking the truth in regard to her relations with the young man with whom he had seen her the day before, though he was naturally inclined to be suspicious.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that young man is not your intended now,\u201d he said after a moment’s silence, \u201cI suppose him want to be?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI doan’t know anyt’ing about dat. I tell you I doan’t know noten about him. Him is a stranger, an’ it is only two days ago that we become acquaint. If it wasn’t dat de baby die in the yard I doan’t think we would have speak to one anoder. It’s de God’s truth I am telling you, Mr Curden, an’ you shouldn’t doubt me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way I won’t doubt y’u is if you promise me you won’t have anything to do with him. You promise?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is easy,\u201d returned Jane, heart-glad of the more favourable turn which the conversation was taking. \u201cI doan’t believe him want to have anyt’ing to do wid me, an’ I know I doan’t partickiler to have noten to do wid him. I doan’t give him a thought!\u201d<\/p>\n
Curden did not think it at all likely that the young man should not wish to have anything to do with so prepossessing a girl as Jane: he argued from the particular to the general, and the particular was himself. But he thought it was just possible, though not probable, that she might not care to have anything to do with the young man. One thing at any rate was clear: she wished to stand on good terms with him (Curden), and that showed that as yet there could be little between her and the fellow he had seen her with. He knew by experience that if Jane really had an \u201cintended\u201d she would have answered him very sharply, even if she had not gone so far as to abuse him. She would not so tamely have submitted to his jeering.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe what you say,\u201d he assured her. \u201cI was only teasing you. That young man isn’t better-looking than me\u201d\u2014as a matter of fact Vincent was plainer-looking than Curden\u2014”and he can’t fix you up better than me. So if y’u want a friend-an’ you must want one-you needn’t bother with him. Why don’t you let me give you a place?\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposition was out now, and there was no use pretending not to understand it. Jane hung her head. Curden waited. \u201cWhat you say?\u201d he asked at length.<\/p>\n
She took refuge in delay.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can’t tell you now. You must wait little.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why can’t you tell me now? You want to give the other fellow a chance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d protested Jane; \u201cdoan’t I tell y’u I have noten to do wid him? Why y’u go on sayin’ de same thing over and over? I tell you to wait, for y’u can’t expect me to do everyting in a hurry, an’ there is plenty time.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was speaking very familiarly now, a change which he noticed with pleasure. She was playing the coquette, was keeping him off for a while; but what she had said indicated plainly that she did not intend to answer no.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right, then,\u201d he replied smilingly. I don\u2019t see what you waiting for, but I won’t press you. Don\u2019t keep me longer than a week though!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA month,\u201d declared Jane, nodding her head with the expression of one who had the upper hand. \u201cIf I can wait, you can wait too;\u201d then she half-walked, half-danced back from Curden’s desk to her seat; observing which, the other girls said nothing. This was the longest conversation the foreman had had with Jane, and it appeared to them to be the most important. Matters having reached such a stage, they felt it would be neither wise nor safe for them to interfere with what was \u201cnot their business.\u201d Mr Curden was a man of prompt decision, and they were not indispensable. Besides, they were rather familiar with such incidents.<\/p>\n
And Jane? She knew she could not keep him a month for his answer, and that he did not intend to wait so long. She had said that Vincent was nothing to her, and that was true; she had said that she was nothing to him, and that was still more true. But she had been proud to be seen driving with him yesterday, he was much younger than this man, he was single, he was generous too, and was probably quite as well paid as the foreman. But how would that help her?<\/p>\n
She did not want to accept Mr Curden’s offer, but she could see no way out of the difficulty. \u201cWhat to do?\u201d she asked herself several times that day as she sat at her work. Curden had said that she put him off because she wanted to give Vincent a chance, and she had protested against the suggestion. Yet, as she thought the matter over, it was always with reference to what Vincent might do. She wondered if he liked her, and concluded that he did, on no other ground than that afforded by hope. Her promise to the foreman did not affect her in the slightest; she was determined to break it is she could. \u201cHim tecking an advantage of me,\u201d was her comment on his behaviour, and she resented the being taken an advantage of.<\/p>\n
But what was she to do? She had thought out no clearly-defined plan by the time she got home evening; nevertheless her actions showed that some intention had begun to form itself in her mind. After having her dinner, she carefully dressed herself in the frock she had worn to Jim’s funeral the day before, discarding only the black ribbon, for which she substituted a sash of red. She surveyed herself as well as she could in the sixpenny looking-glass she had bought (and secreted) while still working with Mrs Mason; she was satisfied with the reflection shown in the mirror, and with tremulous heart she strolled into the yard, knowing that the care bestowed upon her person could hardly fail to be remarked by the other tenants. She took a seat on a chair by the bereaved mother’s room, ostensibly sitting there for the purpose of condoling with the woman. eyes were fixed on the gate, and she started expectantly whenever it was pushed open. \u201cShe waiting somebody,\u201d said the tenants who observed and they had no doubt who it was that for.<\/p>\n
She remained sitting at the same spot for quite an hour before Vincent made his appearance. Naturally, seeing Jane, he paused to say evening, and she rose to talk with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood-evening, Miss Burrell,\u201d he said, smiling; \u201cgot over the funeral yet?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLong ago, Mr Broglie,\u201d Jane replied brightly; \u201cand you get over it too?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn’t affect me,\u201d he laughed; \u201cI have plenty of things to occupy me mind just now, Besides, it’s only women that are always talking about funerals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA gentleman like you will always have a lot to think about,\u201d said Jane; \u201cbut poor me have noten to do but work. You are independent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not,\u201d he assured her; \u201cbut I will soon be more able to be. That is what I am busy about now.\u201d He looked wise and portentous.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes; an’ while you can make you’self all right, a poor gurl like me have to remain all wrong,\u201d said Jane. \u201cI have it hard, for I have nobody to help me, while as you are a man them can’t teck an advantage of you as them like.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Anybody taking an advantage of you?\u201d he asked; \u201cor is it only what you females are always saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
Should she tell him? And how? As these questions flashed through her brain, Vincent, who did not imagine that she had been complaining of anything particular, remarked, almost without stopping to let her answer his last question:\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are dressed up this evening; going out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter I doan’t have anybody to teck me anywhere,\u201d she answered, \u201cIt’s lonely for me to go out by meself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The suggestion was so obvious that Vincent could not possibly misunderstand it. He smiled and touched her lightly on the cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have an engagement to-night,\u201d he said, \u201cor I would take you for a car-drive. However, some other day.\u201d<\/p>\n
He moved off as he spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right, Mr Broglie,\u201d she called after him. \u201cI am gain’ to remind you of you’ promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood!\u201d he called back, and went into his room.<\/p>\n
. . . . .<\/p>\n
This conversation between Jane and Mr Broglie had not been unremarked by other persons; as a matter of fact, some of the tenants had done their best to overhear every word of it. In more than one room that night it was made the subject of laughter and comment. \u201cShe is tryin’ to get a good \u2018intended,\u2019\u201d was the general conclusion; \u201cbut a young man like him don’t want a gurl like she. Him can get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is young but she is bold,\u201d was what was also said; \u201cshe not waiting for him to court her; she<\/i> courting him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jane guessed pretty closely what was being said, and resented this interference with her business. There was a perceptible coldness in her manner the next morning when she greeted some of her neighbours. On their part there was a display of meaning smiles, and one or two of them sneered. But of course they said nothing, having long since learnt the wisdom of pretending to mind their own business.<\/p>\n
Mr Curden was very nice to her that day, asking her of him last night. She replied spiritedly: \u201cI didn’t even think of you!\u201d which pleased him much, as, in his opinion, her manner signified that she had been thinking of nothing else. She began to dislike him now, and her dislike took the form of wishing to see him well beaten. Severe corporal punishment was Jane’s conception of poetic justice.<\/p>\n
That evening she dressed again; but this time she waited for Vincent outside the gate. He saw her as he came up the lane, and knew she was waiting for him. \u201cThat girl is laying herself careless with me,\u201d he observed to himself; nevertheless he was pleased and flattered. He was a favourite with the sex, and many of those he knew would have looked down upon Jane. But he saw that she was a very decent girl, and it came into his mind that it might not be a bad thing to add her to the number of ladies to whom he was more or less attached. But courting meant expenditure with him, for he was not mean. And just then he had neither time nor money to spare.<\/p>\n
\u201cWaiting for me?\u201d he asked when he reached the gate. \u201cDon’t you know I am a bad man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don’t look bad,\u201d she replied. \u201cThere is many worse than you. Y’u promise to teck me for a drive last night; so I dress in case you wanted to go to-night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot to-night,\u201d he answered. \u201cI have to go out presently, and to-morrow morning I am going to Montego Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was calamitous news. \u201cWhen y’u coming back, Mr Broglie?\u201d she asked, her disappointment betraying itself in her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot before Saturday! I have to arrange some business connected with the strike. You hear about the strike?\u201d<\/p>\n
She had not, but she had some idea of what a strike was; she connected it with losing one’s job.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what you have to do wid a strike?\u201d she asked him, thus touching upon a subject that was very near to his heart at that moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything,\u201d he assured her. \u201cAll the people in my trade going to strike, and we are going to win too. We have put up with a lot, but now no more advantage is going to be taken of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mention of that word advantage reminded Jane of her own grievance against Curden.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorse advantage can be taken of a gurl than a man,\u201d she replied. \u201cIf I was to tell y’u what them trying to do wid me, you would sorry for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent was somewhat pressed for time that evening, but as he and his colleagues were just then preparing to utter a vigorous protest against the existing conditions of labour, his sympathy went out to all workers of no matter what class.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me about it,\u201d he said; \u201cthey are trying to rob you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWorse than that,\u201d said Jane, glad to have the opportunity of enlisting him against Curden. \u201cIt’s bad enough if them rob you; but when\u2014” She stopped short, not quite knowing how to tell her story.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI doan’t know what to say, for y’u may think it is my fault. You know a man name Curden, Mr Vin?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo; what about him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHim is de foreman at de place I workin’ at, an’ him is a married man. Him over forty, an’ just fancy what him say to me yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, how can I know if you don’t tell me?\u201d asked the young man impatiently.<\/p>\n
\u201cHim want me to\u2014to\u2014”<\/p>\n
She stammered, hesitating, and Vincent burst into a peal of laughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh! I see,\u201d he said. \u201cHim want you, and you don’t want him, eh? Well, why don’t you tell him so? You don’t like him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. But I can’t afford to quarrel wid him, for him is low enough to discharge me if him get vex. That is why I say that worse advantage is taken of me than you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s what you say, but you don’t know,\u201d asserted Vincent; \u201cbut of course you are not in a safe position. What you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI doan’t know. I want you to advise me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can’t do that. A man shouldn’t advise anybody else if him can’t back up his advice; and if I was to tell you to send Curden about his business, and you lose you’ job, you would blame me. I am sorry for you, though. Well, I have to be moving on, as I got some important business to attend to. Perhaps it will be all right with Curden. Don’t fret.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded to her and went inside, leaving her profoundly depressed. She had asked him for help, and he had none to give. He had shown, if not said, that her predicament was none of his business, and had left her to manage her little affair as best she could. She remained standing there till he came out again, but he did not stop to speak to her this time. He had a portmanteau in his hand, and merely told her good-night as he hurried away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"menu_order":18,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[49],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-197","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":311,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197\/revisions\/311"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=197"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=197"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/janeastoryofjamaica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}