Is he a relation?"
"No, sir--at least, not now--but I hope--"
"What?"
"I hope that he may, one day, be the nearest and dearest relation
to me that a woman can have." I said those words boldly, because
I was afraid of his otherwise taking some wrong view of the
connection between Robert and me
"One day?" he repeated. "One day may be a long time hence."
"We are neither of us well off, sir," I said. "One day means the
day when we are a little richer than we are now."
"Is the young man educated? Can he produce testimonials to his
character? Oblige me by writing his name and address down on the
back of that card."
When I had obeyed, in a handwriting which I am afraid did me no
credit, he took out another card and gave it to me.
"I shall leave England to-morrow," he said. "There is nothing now
to keep me in my own country. If you are ever in any difficulty
or distress (which I pray God you may never be), apply to my
London agent, whose address you have there."
He stopped, and looked at me attentively, then took my hand
again.
"Wher e is she buried?" he said, suddenly, in a quick whisper,
turning his head away.
I told him, and added that we had made the grave as beautiful as
we could with grass and flowers. I saw his lips whiten and
tremble.
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