The Gambling Man

God Almighty! why did everything happen to him at once? Her, yesterday, blaming him for being married, now this with Janie; and not only Janie, Jimmy. Yet he knew that if, come daylight, he took himself along to the polis station they’d both be with him every inch of the road. But he couldn’t, he knew he couldn’t go and tell them the truth. Apart from his fear of imprisonment look what he stood to lose, his job; and not only that but the good name that would help him to get another. Never again would he be allowed to handle money once he had been along the line. And this place would go, Jimmy’s yard. Had he thought of that? He swung round now, crying at them, ‘All right, if I was to give meself up, what would happen? No more yard for you, Jimmy boy, your dream gone up in smoke. Did you think of that?’

‘No, but now you mention it, it wouldn’t be the end of me, I could always get me other job back. And I can always go home again. Don’t let that stop you. Don’t you try to use me in that way, our Rory.’

‘And her, what’s gona happen to her then?’ He was speaking of Janie as if she weren’t sitting by the table with her face buried in her hands, and Jimmy answered, ‘She won’t be any worse off than she was afore, she’s always got her place.’

‘Aw, to hell’s flames with the lot of you!’ He flung his arm wide as if sweeping them out of the room. ‘What do you know about anything? Own up and be a good boy and I’ll stand by you. You know nowt, the pair of you, the lot of you, you’re ignorant, you can’t see beyond your bloody noses. There’s swindlin’ going on every day. Respectable men, men looked up to in this town twisting with every breath. And you’d have me ruin meself for five pounds.’

‘It’s not the five . . .’

‘Be quiet, Jimmy! Be quiet!’ Janie’s voice was low. ‘You won’t get anywhere with him ’cos he’ll keep on about the five pounds, he’ll try to hoodwink you like he’s hoodwinked himself. Well—’ she rose from the table—’I know what I’m gona do.’ She walked slowly into the bedroom and they both gazed after her. When the door banged behind her Jimmy made for the ladder and without another word mounted it and disappeared through the trap door.

Rory stared about the empty room for a moment, then turning towards the mantelshelf again he bowed his head on it and slowly beat his fist against the rough wall above it.

6

‘Why, lass, it’s the chance in a lifetime. In a boat cruising? My! my! round France. By! the master’s brother must have plenty of money to own a boat like that.’

‘I think it’s his wife who has the money, he married a French lady.’

‘And you tell us it’s a sort of castle they live in?’

‘Yes, that’s what the missis says.’

‘We’ll miss you, lass.’ Lizzie sat back on her heels from where she had been kneeling sweeping the fallen cinders underneath the grate and she looked hard at Janie as she said, ‘I know it’s only for three weeks, but what puzzles me is him lettin’ you go at all. Didn’t he kick up a shindy?’

Janie turned away and looked towards Ruth where she was coming out of the scullery carrying plates of thickly cut bread, and she answered, ‘Yes, a bit. But then he’s taken up with his new position an’ such, and . . . and often doesn’t get in till late.’

‘Aye.’ Lizzie pulled her bulk upright and bent to her sweeping once again. ‘His new position. By! he’s fallen on his feet if anybody has. It was a whole day’s blessin’ when old Kean died, you could say.’

‘You’re off first thing in the mornin’ then, lass?’

Janie nodded towards Ruth and said, ‘Yes, we’ve got to be in Newcastle by eight o’clock; we’re goin’ up by carriage.’

‘Then all the way to London by train.’ Ruth shook her head, ‘It’s amazing, wonderful; the sights you’ll  see. It would have been a great pity if you hadn’t taken the opportunity; such a thing as this only comes once in a lifetime . . . And you won’t stay for a bite to eat?’

‘I can’t, thanks all the same, there’s so much to do, to see to you know. And that reminds me. I needn’t ask you, need I, to see to me grannie?’

‘Aw, lass—’ Ruth pulled a face at her—’you know that goes without sayin’. At least you should.’

‘Aye, I know. And thanks, thanks to both of you.’ She cast her glance between them, then looking at Lizzie, who had now risen to her feet, she said, ‘Well, I’d better say ta-rah,’ and the next moment she was hugging Lizzie, and Lizzie was holding her tight and saying brokenly, ‘Now don’t cry, there’s nowt to cry about, goin’ on a holiday . . . Don’t. Don’t lass.’

‘There, there.’ She was enfolded in Ruth’s arms now and Lizzie was patting her shoulder. Then swiftly pulling herself away from them, she grabbed up her bag from a chair and ran out of the cottage.

It was Ruth who, having closed the door after her, came back to the centre of the room and looking at Lizzie said, ‘Well, what do you make of it?’