Her long melancholy visage and vacant stare at
Morley as he passed, attracted his notice, and it occurring to
him that the opportunity was convenient to enquire something
of the individual of whom he was in search, he stopped and
addressed the workman:
"Do you happen to know friend a person here or hereabouts by
name Hatton?"
"Hatton!" said the youth looking up with a grin, yet still
continuing his labour, "I should think I did!"
"Well, that's fortunate; you can tell me something about him?"
"Do you see this here?" said the youth still grinning, and
letting the file drop from his distorted and knotty hand, he
pointed to a deep scar that crossed his forehead, "he did
that."
"An accident?"
"Very like. An accident that often happened. I should like
to have a crown for every time he has cut my head open. He
cut it open once with a key and twice with a lock; he knocked
the corner of a lock into my head twice, once with a bolt and
once with a shut; you know what that is; the thing what runs
into the staple. He hit me on the head with a hammer once.
That was a blow! I fell away that time. When I came to,
master had stopped the blood with some fur off his hat. I had
to go on with my work immediately; master said I should do my
stint if I worked till twelve o'clock at night.
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