CHAPTER VII.

FRIENDSHIP.

Nelly Hardy had been unfortunate in her parents, for both drank, and she
had grown up without care or supervision. She had neither brother nor
sister. At school she was always either at the top or bottom of her
class according as a fit of diligence or idleness seized her. She was a
wild passionate child, feeling bitterly the neglect with which she was
treated, her ragged clothes, her unkempt appearance. She was feared and
yet liked by the girls of her own age, for she was generous, always
ready to do a service, and good-tempered except when excited to passion.
She was fonder of joining with the boys, when they would let her, in
their games, and, when angered, was ready to hold her own against them
with tooth and nail.

So wild were her bursts of passion that they were sources of amusement
to some of the boys, until Jack upon one occasion took her part, and
fought and conquered the boy who had excited her. This was on the
Saturday before the accident had taken place.

For some days after the presentation no one saw her; she kept herself
shut up in the house or wandered far away.

Then she appeared suddenly before Jack Simpson and Harry Shepherd as
they were out together.

"I hate you, Jack Simpson," she said, "I hate you, I hate you;" and then
dashed through the gap in the hedge by which she had come.

"Well," Harry exclaimed in astonishment, "only to think!"

"It be nat'ral enough," Jack said, "and I bain't surprised one bit. I
orter ha' known better. I had only to ha' joodged her by myself and I
should ha' seen it. I hated being dragged forward and talked at; it was
bad enough though I had been made decent and clean scrubbed all over,
and got my Soonday clothes on, but of course it would be worse for a
lass anyway, and she was all anyhow, not expecting it. I ought to ha'
known better; I thawt only o' my own feelings and not o' hers, and I'd
beg her pardon a hundred times, but 'taint likely she'd forgive me. What
is she a doing now?"

The lads peered through the hedge. Far across the field, on the bank,
the other side, lay what looked like a bundle of clothes.

"She be a crying, I expect," Jack said remorsefully. "I do wish some big
chap would a come along and give I a hiding; I wouldn't fight, or kick,
or do nowt, I would just take it, it would serve me roight. I wonder
whether it would do her any good to let her thrash me. If it would she'd
be welcome. Look here, Harry