"No, Jack," said the little woman; "that would be of no use. The only thing you could do would be to buy me; for my cruel master has said that if ever I am late again he will sell me in the slave-market to the brown people, who work underground. And, though I am dreadfully afraid of my master, I mean to be late today, in hopes (as you are kind, and as you have some money) that you will come to the slave-market and buy me. Can you buy me, Jack, to be your slave?"
"I don't want a slave," said Jack: "and, besides, I have hardly any money to buy you with."
"But it is real money," said the fairy woman, "not like what my master has. His money has to be made every week, for if there comes a hot day it cracks, so it never has time to look old, as your half-crown does; and that is how we know the real money, for we cannot imitate anything that is old. Oh, now, now it is twelve o'clock! now I am late again! and though I said I would do it, I am so frightened!"
So saying, the little woman ran off towards the town, wringing her hands, and Jack ran beside her.
"How am I to find your master?" he said.
"Oh, Jack, buy me! buy me!" cried the fairy woman. "You will find me in the slave-market. Bid high for me. Go back and put your boots on, and bid high."
Now Jack had nothing on his feet, so he left the poor little woman to run into the town by herself, and went back to put his boots on. They were very uncomfortable, as he had no stockings; but he did not much mind that, and he counted his money. There was the half-crown that his grandmamma had given him on his birthday, there was a shilling, a sixpence, and two pence, besides a silver four-penny-piece which he had forgotten. He then marched into the town; and now it was quite full of people all of them little men and women about his own height. They thought he was somebody of consequence, and they called out to him to buy their goods. And he bought some stockings, and said: "What I want to buy now is a slave."
So they showed him the way to the slave-market, and there whole rows of odd-looking little people were sitting, while in front of them stood the slaves.
Now Jack had observed as he came along how very disrespectful the dogs of that town were to the people. They had a habit of going up to them and smelling at their legs, and even gnawing their feet as they sat before the little tables selling their wares; and what made this more surprising was that the people did not always seem to find out when they were being gnawed. But the moment the dogs saw Jack they came and fawned on him, and two old hounds followed him all the way to the slave-market; and when he took a seat one of them lay down at his feet, and said: "Master, set your handsome feet on my back, that they may be out of the dust."
"Don't be afraid of him," said the other hound; "he won't gnaw your feet. He knows well enough that they are real ones."
"Are the other people's feet not real?" asked Jack.
"Of course not," said the hound. "They had a feud long ago with the fairies, and they all went one night into a great cornfield which belonged to these enemies of theirs, intending to steal the corn. So they made themselves invisible, as they are always obliged to do till twelve o'clock at noon; but before morning dawn, the wheat being quite ripe, down came the fairies with their sickles, surrounded the field and cut the corn. So all their legs of course got cut off with it, for when they are invisible they cannot stir. Ever since that they have been obliged to make their legs of wood."
While the hound was telling this story Jack looked about, but he did not see one slave who was in the least like his poor little friend, and he was beginning to be afraid that he should not find her, when he heard two people talking together.
"Good day!" said one. "so you have sold that good-for-nothing slave of yours?"
"Yes," answered a very cross-looking old man. "She was late again this morning, and came to me crying and praying to be forgiven; but I was determined to make an example of her, so I sold her at once to Clink-of-the-Hole, and he has just driven her away to work in his mine."
Jack, on hearing this, whispered to the hound at his feet: "If you will guide me to Clink's hole, you shall be my dog."
"Master, I will do my best," answered the hound; and he stole softly out of the market, Jack following him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Half A Crown
So useful it is to have money, heigh ho!
So useful it is to have money!
- A. H. CLOUGH[11]
The old hound went straight through the town, smelling Clink's footsteps, till he came into a large field of barley; and there, sitting against a sheaf, for it was harvest time, they found Clink-of-the-Hole. He was a very ugly little brown man, and he was smoking a pipe in the shade; while crouched near him was the poor little woman, with her hands spread before her face.
"Good day, sir," said Clink to Jack. "You are a stranger here, no doubt?"
"Yes," said Jack; "I only arrived this morning."
"Have you seen the town?" asked Clink civilly. "There is a very fine market."
"Yes, I have seen the market," answered Jack. "I went into it to buy a slave, but I did not see one that I liked."
"Ah," said Clink; "and yet they had some very fine articles." Here he pointed to the poor little woman, and said: "Now that's a useful body enough, and I had her very cheap."
"What did you give for her?" said Jack, sitting down.
"Three pitchers," said Clink, "and fifteen cups and saucers, and two shillings in the money of the town."
"Is their money like this?" said Jack, taking out his shilling.
When Clink saw the shilling he changed color, and said, very earnestly: "Where did you get that, dear sir?"
"Oh, it was given me," said Jack carelessly.
Clink looked hard at the shilling, and so did the fairy woman, and Jack let them look some time, for he amused himself with throwing it up several times and catching it. At last he put it back in his pocket, and then Clink heaved a deep sigh. Then Jack took out a penny, and began to toss that up, upon which, to his great surprise, the little brown man fell on his knees, and said: "Oh, a shilling and a penny a shilling and a penny of mortal coin! What would I not give for a shilling and a penny!"
"I don't believe you have got anything to give," said Jack cunningly. "I see nothing but that ring on your finger, and the old woman."
"But I have a great many things at home, sir," said the brown man, wiping his eyes; "and besides, that ring would be cheap at a shilling even a shilling of mortal coin."
"Would the slave be cheap at a penny?" said Jack.
"Would you give a penny for her, dear sir?" inquired Clink, trembling with eagerness.
"She is honest," answered Jack; "ask her whether I had better buy her with this penny."
"It does not matter what she says," replied the brown man; "I would sell twenty such as she is for a penny a real one."
"Ask her," repeated Jack; and the poor little woman wept bitterly, but she said "No."
"Why not?" asked Jack; but she only hung down her head and cried.
"I'll make you suffer for this," said the brown man. But when Jack took out the shilling, and said: "Shall I buy you with this, slave?" his eyes actually shot out sparks, he was so eager.
"Speak!" he said to the fairy woman; "and if you don't say 'Yes,' I'll strike you."
"He cannot buy me with that," answered the fairy woman, "unless it is the most valuable coin he has got."
The brown man, on hearing this, rose up in a rage, and was just going to strike her a terrible blow, when Jack cried out: "Stop!" and took out his half-crown.