\"well?\"

\"well! she died this morning, and her sister is here--e to beg astrange thing. it seems, the young woman who died had a fancy forbeing buried in something of yours, and so the sister\"s e to ask forit,--and i was looking for a night-cap that wasn\"t too good to give away.\"

\"oh! let me find one,\" said margaret, in the midst of her tears. \"poorbessy! i never thought i should not see her again.\"

\"why, that\"s another thing. this girl down-stairs wanted me to ask you,if you would like to see her.\"

\"but she\"s dead!\" said margaret, turning a little pale. \"i never saw a deadperson. no! i would rather not.\"

\"i should never hāve asked you, if you hadn\"t e in. i told her youwouldn\"t.\"

\"i will go down and speak to her,\" said margaret, afraid lest dixon\"sharshness of manner might wound the poor girl. so, taking the cap inher hand, she went to the kitchen. mary\"s face was all swollen withcrying, and she burst out afresh when she saw margaret.

\"oh, ma\"am, she loved yo\", she loved yo\", she did indeed!\" and for a longtime, margaret could not get her to say anything more than this. at last,her sympathy, and dixon\"s scolding, forced out a few facts. nicholashiggins had gone out in the morning, leāving bessy as well as on theday before. but in an hour she was taken worse; some neighbour ran tothe room where mary was working; they did not know where to findher father; mary had only e in a few minutes before she died.

\"it were a day or two ago she axed to be buried in somewhat o\" yourn.

she were never tired o\" talking o\" yo\". she used to say yo\" were theprettiest thing she\"d ever clapped eyes on. she loved yo\" dearly her lastwords were, \"give her my affectionate respects; and keep father fro\"

drink.\" yo\"ll e and see her, ma\"am. she would ha\" thought it a greatpliment, i know.\"

margaret shrank a little from answering.

\"yes, perhaps i may. yes, i will. i\"ll e before tea. but where\"s yourfather, mary?\"

mary shook her head, and stood up to be going.

\"miss hale,\" said dixon, in a low voice, \"where\"s the use o\" your going tosee the poor thing laid out? i\"d never say a word against it, if it could dothe girl any good; and i wouldn\"t mind a bit going myself, if that wouldsatisfy her. they\"ve just a notion, these mon folks, of its being arespect to the departed. here,\" said she, turning sharply round, \"i\"ll eand see your sister. miss hale is busy, and she can\"t e, or else shewould.\"

the girl looked wistfully at margaret. dixon\"s ing might be apliment, but it was not the same thing to the poor sister, who hadhad her little pangs of jealousy, during bessy\"s lifetime, at the intimacybetween her and the young lady.

\"no, dixon!\" said margaret with decision. \"i will go. mary, you shall seeme this afternoon.\" and for fear of her own cowardice, she went away,in order to take from herself any chance of changing her determination.

..?小说/\天、堂

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