Strange faces of pale men, with dark
glaring eyes, peered into the inner darkness, and seemed desirous to
ascertain if her father was at home. Or, a hand and arm (the body
hidden) was put within the door, and beckoned him away. He always
went. And once or twice, when Mary was in bed, she heard men's
voices below, in earnest, whispered talk.
They were all desperate members of Trades' Unions, ready for
anything; made ready by want.
While all this change for gloom yet struck fresh and heavy on Mary's
heart, her father startled her out of a reverie one evening, by
asking her when she had been to see Jane Wilson. From his manner of
speaking, she was made aware that he had been; but at the time of
his visit he had never mentioned anything about it. Now, however,
he gruffly told her to go next day without fail, and added some
abuse of her for not having been before. The little outward impulse
of her father's speech gave Mary the push which she in this instance
required; and accordingly, timing her visit so as to avoid Jem's
hours at home, she went the following afternoon to Ancoats.
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