Middlemarchwork and to do it well, he held to be part of their welfare,
as it was the chief part of his own happiness; but he had a
strong sense of fellowship with them. When he advanced
towards the laborers they had not gone to work again, but
were standing in that form of rural grouping which consists
in each turning a shoulder towards the other, at a distance
of two or three yards. They looked rather sulkily at Caleb,
who walked quickly with one hand in his pocket and the
other thrust between the buttons of his waistcoat, and had
his every-day mild air when he paused among them.
‘Why, my lads, how’s this?’ he began, taking as usual to
brief phrases, which seemed pregnant to himself, because
he had many thoughts lying under them, like the abundant
roots of a plant that just manages to peep above the water.
‘How came you to make such a mistake as this? Somebody
has been telling you lies. You thought those men up there
wanted to do mischief.’
‘Aw!’ was the answer, dropped at intervals by each ac-
cording to his degree of unreadiness.
‘Nonsense! No such thing! They’re looking out to see
which way the railroad is to take. Now, my lads, you can’t
hinder the railroad: it will be made whether you like it or
not. And if you go fighting against it, you’ll get yourselves
into trouble. The law gives those men leave to come here on
the land. The owner has nothing to say against it, and if you
meddle with them you’ll have to do with the constable and
Justice Blakesley, and with the handcuffs and Middlemarch
jail. And you might be in for it now, if anybody informed
against you.’