Chapter 82
eyes of his.
'No, I don't!' answered Mrs Jo. 'Then if you were in my place, what
would you do?' he added, with a tone of command never heard in his
gentle voice before.
'Bless me! the boy is in dead earnest, and I shall forget prudence in
sympathy I'm afraid,' thought Mrs Jo, surprised and pleased by the
unexpected manliness Nat showed.
'I'll tell you what I should do. I'd say to myself:
"I'll prove that my love is strong and faithful, and make Daisy's
mother proud to give her to me by being not only a good musician but
an excellent man, and so command respect and confidence. This I will
try for; and if I fail, I shall be the better for the effort, and
find comfort in the thought that I did my best for her sake."'
'That is what I meant to do. But I wanted a word of hope to give me
courage,' cried Nat, firing up as if the smouldering spark was set
ablaze by a breath of encouragement. 'Other fellows, poorer and
stupider than I, have done great things and come to honour. Why may
not I, though I'm nothing now? I know Mrs Brooke remembers what I
came from, but my father was honest though everything went wrong; and
I have nothing to be ashamed of though I was a charity boy. I never
will be ashamed of my people or myself, and I'll make other folks
respect me if I can.'
'Good! that's the right spirit, Nat. Hold to it and make yourself a
man. No one will be quicker to see and admire the brave work than my
sister Meg. She does not despise your poverty or your past; but
mothers are very tender over their daughters, and we Marches, though
we have been poor, are, I confess, a little proud of our good family.
We don't care for money; but a long line of virtuous ancestors is
something to desire and to be proud of.'
'Well, the Blakes are a good lot. I looked 'em up, and not one was
ever in prison, hanged, or disgraced in any way. We used to be rich
and honoured years ago, but we've died out and got poor, and father
was a street musician rather than beg; and I'll be one again before
I'll do the mean things some men do and pass muster.'