Wegettenacrossatlastthough，andmyeyesIthegrandstreetswewereinthen!They’resadlypuzzledhowtobuildhousesthoughinLondon；there’dbeanopeningforagoodsteadymasterbuilderthere，asknow’dhisbusiness。
Foryoseethehousesaremanyon’embuiltwithoutanypropershapeforabodytolivein；someonemthey’veafterthoughtwouldfalldown，sothey’vestuckgreatuglypillarsoutbefore’em。Andsomeon’emwethoughttheymustbeth’tailors’signhadgettenstonemenandwomenaswantedclothesstuckon’em。Iwerelikeachild，Iforgotamyerrandinlookingaboutme。Bythisitweredinner-time，orbetter，aswecouldtellbythesun，rightaboveourheads，andweweredustyandtired，goingastepflowandastepthen。Well，atlastwegettenintoastreetgrandernorall，leadingtoth’Queen’spalace，andthereitwereIthoughtIsawth’Queen。
Yo’veseenth’hearseswi’whiteplumes，Job？“Jobassented。“Well，themundertakerfolkaredrivingaprettytradeinLondon。Wellnigheveryladywesawinacarriagehadhiredoneo’themplumesfortheday，andhaditniddlenoddlingonherhead。itwereth’Queen’sdrawing-room，theysaid，andth’carriageswentbowlingalongtowardherhouse，somewi’dressedupgentlemenlikecircusfolkin’em，andruckso’ladiesinothers。Carriagesthemselvesweregreatshakestoo。Someo’th’gentlemenascouldn’tgetinsidehungonbehind，wi’nosegaystosmellat，andstickstokeepofffolkasmightsplashtheirsilkstockings。Iwonderedwhytheydidn’thireacabratherthanhangonlikeawhip-behindboy；butIsupposetheywishedtokeepwi’theirwives，DarbyandJoanlike。Coachmenwerelittlesquatmen，wi’wigsliketh’oud-fashionedparsons’。Well，wecouldnagetonforthesecarriages，thoughwewaitedandwaited。Th’horsesweretoofattoneverknownwanto’food，onemighttelltheirsleekcoats；
andpolicepushedusbackwhenwetriedtocross。Oneortwoof’emstruckwi’theirsticks，andcoachmenlaughed，andsomeofficersasstoodnighputtheirspy-glassesintheireye，andleft’emstickingtherelikemountebanks。
Oneo’th’policestruckme。’Whattenbusinesshaveyotodothat？’saidI。“’You’refrighteningthemhorses，’sayshe，inhismincingwayforLondonersaremostlyalltongue-tied，andcan’tsaytheira’sandi’sproperly，’andit’sourbusinesstokeepyoufrommolestingtheladiesandgentlemengoingtoherMajesty’sdrawing-room。’“’Andwhyarewetobemolested，“’askedI，“’goingdecentlyaboutourbusiness，whichislifeanddeathtous，andmanyalittleoneclemmingathomeinLancashire？Whichbusinessisofmostconsequencei’thesighto’God，thinkyo，our’northemgran’ladiesandgentlemenasyothinksomuchon？’“ButImightaswellha’heldmypeace，forheonlylaughed。“Johnceased。Afterwaitingalittle，toseeifhewouldgoonhimself，Jobsaid，“Well，butthat’snota’yourstory，man。Telluswhathappenedwhenyogottoth’ParliamentHouse。“Afteralittlepause，Johnanswered，“Ifyouplease，neighbour，I’drathersaynoughtaboutthat。It’snottobeforgotten，orforgiveneither，bymeormanyanother；butIcannatellofourdown-castingjustasapieceofLondonnews。AslongasIlive，ourrejectionthatdaywillbideinmyheart；andaslongasIliveIshallcursethemassocruellyrefusedtohearus；butI’llnotspeakofitnomore。So，dauntedintheirinquiries，theysatsilentforafewminutes。OldJob，however，feltthatsomeonemustspeak，elseallthegoodtheybaddoneindispellingJohnBarton’sgloomwaslost。Soafterawhilehethoughtofasubject，neithersufficientlydissonantfromthelasttojaronthefullheart，nortoomuchthesametocherishthecontinuanceofthegloomytrainofthought。“Didyoueverheartell，“saidhetoMary，“thatIwereinLondononce？““No!“saidshe，withsurprise，andlookingatJobwithincreasedrespect。“Aye，butIwerethough，andPegtheretoo，thoughshemindsnoughtaboutit，poorwench!YoumustknowIhadbutonechild，andshewereMargaret’smother。Ilovedheraboveabit，andonedaywhenshecamestandingbehindmeforthatIshouldnotseeherblushes，andstrokingmycheeksinherowncoaxingway，andtoldmesheandFrankJenningsaswasajoinerlodgingnearusshouldbesohappyiftheyweremarried，Icouldnotfindinmyheartt’sayhernay，thoughIwentsickatthethoughtoflosingherawayfrommyhome。However，shewasmyonlychild，andIneversaidnoughtofwhatIfelt，forfearo’grievingheryoungheart。ButItriedtothinko’thetimewhenI’dbeenyoungmysel’，andhadlovedherblessedmother，andhowwe’dleftfatherandmother，andgoneoutintoth’worldtogether，andI’mnowrightthankfulIheldmypeace，anddidnafretherwi’tellingherhowsoreIwasatpartingwi’herthatwerethelighto’myeyes。““But，“saidMary，“yousaidtheyoungmanwereaneighbour。““Aye，sohewere，andhisfatheraforehim。ButworkwereratherslackinManchester，andFrank’sunclesenthimwordo’LondonworkandLondonwages，soheweretogothere，anditwerethereMargaretwastofollowhim。Well，myheartachesyetatthoughtofthosedays。Shesohappy，andhesohappy；onlythepoorfatherasfrettedsadlybehindtheirbacks。