\"oh! let us go. i cannot be patient here. i shall not get well here. i wantto forget.\"

so the arrangements went on; and captain lennox came, and with himnews of edith and the little boy; and margaret found that theindifferent, careless conversation of one who, however kind, was nottoo warm and anxious a sympathiser, did her good. she roused up; andby the time that she knew she might expect higgins, she was able toleāve the room quietly, and await in her own chamber the expectedsummons.

\"eh!\" said he, as she came in, \"to think of th\" oud gentleman dropping offas he did! yo\" might ha\" knocked me down wi\" a straw when they telledme. \"mr. hale?\" said i; \"him as was th\" parson?\" \"ay,\" said they.

\"then,\" said i, \"there\"s as good a man gone as ever lived on this earth,let who will be t\" other!\" and i came to see yo\", and tell yo\" how grievedi were, but them women in th\" kitchen wouldn\"t tell yo\" i were there.

they said yo\" were ill,--and butter me, but yo\" dunnot look like th\" samewench. and yo\"re going to be a grand lady up i\" lunnon, aren\"t yo\"?\"

\"not a grand lady,\" said margaret, half smiling.

\"well! thornton said--says he, a day or two ago, \"higgins, hāve yo\" seenmiss hale?\" \"no,\" says i; \"there\"s a pack o\" women who won\"t let me ather. but i can bide my time, if she\"s ill. she and i knows each otherpretty well; and hoo\"l not go doubting that i\"m main sorry for th\" oudgentleman\"s death, just because i can\"t get at her and tell her so.\" and

says he, \"yo\"ll not hāve much time for to try and see her, my fine chap.

she\"s not for staying with us a day longer nor she can help. she\"s gotgrand relations, and they\"re carrying her off; and we sha\"n\"t see her nomore.\" \"measter,\" said i, \"if i dunnot see her afore hoo goes, i\"ll striveto get up to lunnun next whissuntide, that i will. i\"ll not be baulked ofsaying her good-bye by any relations whatsomdever.\" but, bless yo\", iknowed yo\"d e. it were only for to humour the measter, i let on as ifi thought yo\"d mappen leāve milton without seeing me.\"

\"you\"re quite right,\" said margaret. \"you only do me justice. and you\"llnot forget me, i\"m sure. if no one else in milton remembers me, i\"mcertain you will; and papa too. you know how good and how tender hewas. look, higgins! here is his bible. i hāve kept it for you. i can illspare it; but i know he would hāve liked you to hāve it. i\"m sure you\"llcare for it, and study what is in it, for his sake.\"

\"yo\" may say that. if it were the deuce\"s own scribble, and yo\" axed meto read in it for yo\"r sake, and th\" oud gentleman\"s, i\"d do it. whatten\"sthis, wench? i\"m not going for to take yo\"r brass, so dunnot think it.

we\"ve been great friends, \"bout the sound o\" money passing between us,\"

\"for the children--for boucher\"s children,\" said margaret, hurriedly.

\"they may need it. you\"ve no right to refuse it for them. i would notgive you a penny,\" she said, smiling; \"don\"t think there\"s any of it foryou.\"

\"well, wench! i can nobbut say, bless yo\"! and bless yo\"!--and amen.\"

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