the kindest of his many masters.
When Matty, with his head sunk on his chest, continued kneeling by the dog, his father said, ‘Well, it’s over. He couldn’t have been in much pain, he’d be numb. It affects you like that when the legs are smashed. Come on.’ And he thrust his hand, not ungently, under Matty’s arm, and pulled him to his feet, adding under his breath, ‘Your mam’s in a state; she’s blaming herself. Now don’t you make it worse for her . . . you understand?’
Matty pulled himself from his father’s hold and went slowly up the yard and into the kitchen, there to be met by his mother. She was still crying, and after staring at him for a moment she shook her head as she said again, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I am that. I wouldn’t have had it happen like this for the world. Only I was so vexed at you running off this morning, and then you not coming in to your dinner, and him howlin’ all the time, and her next door sending Mr Watson in to say we’d have to do something about it, and you still not coming home. I . . . I felt so vexed and upset, so . . . so I pushed him out into the back lane. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but as I said I was vexed. But I wouldn’t for the world it had happened like . . . like this. Believe me, Matty.’
Mrs Doolin paused and waited for Matty to say something. But he could say nothing that would relieve her self-reproach. His head bowed once again, he was making his way towards the room door when she put her hand out tentatively towards him. She did not touch him but she said brokenly, ‘Won’t . . . won’t you stay and have your tea? It’s fish.’
It was too much. Nelson, unusually perhaps for a dog, had been very partial to fish. Turning swiftly from her, Matty went into the hall, and, taking the stairs two at a time, he reached his room and banged the door after him. Then flinging himself onto his bed, he grabbed up fistfuls of pillow; and when he dropped his face onto his hands he saw on the black screen of his mind the picture of Nelson dashing down the back lane, after his mam had pushed him out, looking first one way and then the other before deciding that he would find his master in the front street. He could see him rushing headlong into the car, and for a moment he actually felt the impact, and his own legs jerked in sympathetic reaction.
As the burning in his eyes intensified and his throat swelled to bursting point, the bedroom door was thrust open and his father stalked in. Matty felt him standing over him. And now his voice beat down on him, saying, ‘Now look here. Your mother’s been through enough this afternoon without you makin’ it worse for her. She was nearly out of her mind when I came in. She carried that dog up the road herself, wouldn’t let anybody touch it. She’s taken all the blame to herself when it’s you who are to blame. For if you had done what you were told the animal would have died peacefully. But no . . . no, you think you’re right. You’re always right, aren’t you? So you took yourself out on a jaunt for the day, not really carin’ two hoots what happened to the . . . ’
‘I didn’t take meself out on a jaunt. I didn’t.’ Matty swung round on his elbow as he bawled back at his father. But Mr Doolin did not raise his hand or cry at him, ‘Now look here, me lad, I’m havin’ none of your cheek,’ because he saw his son was crying. He watched the slow painful tears rolling down Matty’s face before, his own head drooping, he turned slowly away and went quietly out of the room.
On Monday, Matty played truant from school, and his mother got to know for the simple reason that Joe came round to see if his pal was ill. Matty intended to make no secret of his default, for he did not return home until six o’clock, when his mother, more worried than ever, reproached him, but quietly, saying, ‘You shouldn’t have done it, Matty. And you so near finishing school. It’ll be a black mark against
When Matty, with his head sunk on his chest, continued kneeling by the dog, his father said, ‘Well, it’s over. He couldn’t have been in much pain, he’d be numb. It affects you like that when the legs are smashed. Come on.’ And he thrust his hand, not ungently, under Matty’s arm, and pulled him to his feet, adding under his breath, ‘Your mam’s in a state; she’s blaming herself. Now don’t you make it worse for her . . . you understand?’
Matty pulled himself from his father’s hold and went slowly up the yard and into the kitchen, there to be met by his mother. She was still crying, and after staring at him for a moment she shook her head as she said again, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I am that. I wouldn’t have had it happen like this for the world. Only I was so vexed at you running off this morning, and then you not coming in to your dinner, and him howlin’ all the time, and her next door sending Mr Watson in to say we’d have to do something about it, and you still not coming home. I . . . I felt so vexed and upset, so . . . so I pushed him out into the back lane. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but as I said I was vexed. But I wouldn’t for the world it had happened like . . . like this. Believe me, Matty.’
Mrs Doolin paused and waited for Matty to say something. But he could say nothing that would relieve her self-reproach. His head bowed once again, he was making his way towards the room door when she put her hand out tentatively towards him. She did not touch him but she said brokenly, ‘Won’t . . . won’t you stay and have your tea? It’s fish.’
It was too much. Nelson, unusually perhaps for a dog, had been very partial to fish. Turning swiftly from her, Matty went into the hall, and, taking the stairs two at a time, he reached his room and banged the door after him. Then flinging himself onto his bed, he grabbed up fistfuls of pillow; and when he dropped his face onto his hands he saw on the black screen of his mind the picture of Nelson dashing down the back lane, after his mam had pushed him out, looking first one way and then the other before deciding that he would find his master in the front street. He could see him rushing headlong into the car, and for a moment he actually felt the impact, and his own legs jerked in sympathetic reaction.
As the burning in his eyes intensified and his throat swelled to bursting point, the bedroom door was thrust open and his father stalked in. Matty felt him standing over him. And now his voice beat down on him, saying, ‘Now look here. Your mother’s been through enough this afternoon without you makin’ it worse for her. She was nearly out of her mind when I came in. She carried that dog up the road herself, wouldn’t let anybody touch it. She’s taken all the blame to herself when it’s you who are to blame. For if you had done what you were told the animal would have died peacefully. But no . . . no, you think you’re right. You’re always right, aren’t you? So you took yourself out on a jaunt for the day, not really carin’ two hoots what happened to the . . . ’
‘I didn’t take meself out on a jaunt. I didn’t.’ Matty swung round on his elbow as he bawled back at his father. But Mr Doolin did not raise his hand or cry at him, ‘Now look here, me lad, I’m havin’ none of your cheek,’ because he saw his son was crying. He watched the slow painful tears rolling down Matty’s face before, his own head drooping, he turned slowly away and went quietly out of the room.
On Monday, Matty played truant from school, and his mother got to know for the simple reason that Joe came round to see if his pal was ill. Matty intended to make no secret of his default, for he did not return home until six o’clock, when his mother, more worried than ever, reproached him, but quietly, saying, ‘You shouldn’t have done it, Matty. And you so near finishing school. It’ll be a black mark against
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