by me," he said, "and I'm a-going to stand by her. She ain't
got no friends, and I'm going to be her friend. She's quiet enough and
doan't bother, no more nor if she were a dorg. She doan't get in no
one's way, she doan't want to play, and sits quiet and looks on, so if
any of you doan't like her near ye, you can go away to t' other side o'
field. I wish she'd been a boy, 'twould ha' been fitter all ways, but
she can't help that. She's got the sense o' one. and the pluck, and I
like her. There!"

CHAPTER VIII.

PROGRESS.

"Bless me, lad, another poond o' candles! I never did hear o' sich
waste," Mrs. Haden exclaimed as Jack entered the cottage on a winter's
afternoon, two years and a half after he had gone into the pit. "Another
poond o' candles, and it was only last Monday as you bought the
last--nigh two candles a night. Thou wilt kill thyself sitting up
reading o' nights, and thy eyes will sink i' thy head, and thou'lt be as
blind as a bat afore thou'rt forty."

"I only read up to eleven, mother, that gives me six hours abed, and as
thou know, six for a man, seven for a woman, is all that is needful; and
as to the expense, as dad lets me keep all my earnings save five bob a
week--and very good o' him it is; I doan't know no man in the pit as
does as much--why, I ha' plenty o' money for my candles and books, and
to lay by summat for a rainy day."

"Aye, aye, lad, I know thou be'st not wasteful save in candles; it's thy
health I thinks o'."

"Health!" Jack laughed; "why, there ain't a lad in the pit as strong as
I am of my age, and I ha' never ailed a day yet, and doan't mean to."

"What ha' ye been doing all the arternoon, Jack?"

"I ha' been sliding in the big pond wi' Harry Shepherd and a lot o'
others. Then Dick Somers, he knocked down Harry's little sister Fan, as
she came running across th' ice, and larfed out when she cried--a great
brute--so I licked he till he couldn't see out o' his eyes."

"He's bigger nor thee, too," Mrs. Haden said admiringly.

"Aye, he's bigger," Jack said carelessly, "but he ain't game, Dick
ain't; loses his temper, he does, and a chap as does that when he's
fighting ain't o' no account. But I must not stand a clappeting here;
it's past six, and six is my time."

"Have your tea first, Jack, it's a' ready; but I do believe thou'dst go
wi'out eating wi'out noticing it, when thou'st got thy books in thy
head."

Jack sat down and drank the tea his mother poured out for