He kept on saying
plaintively, "Missy, you'll never let 'em send me to Botany Bay; I
couldn't stand that."
"No, no!" said she. "You shall come out of this prison, and go home with
me to East Chester; I promise you you shall. I promise you. I don't yet
quite know how, but trust in my promise. Don't fret about Botany Bay. If
you go there, I go too. I am so sure you will not go. And you know if
you have done anything against the law in concealing that fatal night's
work, I did too, and if you are to be punished, I will be punished too.
But I feel sure it will be right; I mean, as right as anything can be,
with the recollection of that time present to us, as it must always be."
She almost spoke these last words to herself. They sat on, hand in hand
for a few minutes more in silence.
"I thought you'd come to me. I knowed you were far away in foreign
parts. But I used to pray to God. 'Dear Lord God!' I used to say, 'let
me see her again.' I told the chaplain as I'd begin to pray for
repentance, at after I'd done praying that I might see you once again:
for it just seemed to take all my strength to say those words as I've
named. And I thought as how God knew what was in my heart better than I
could tell Him: how I was main and sorry for all as I'd ever done wrong;
I allays were, at after it was done; but I thought as no one could know
how bitter-keen I wanted to see you.
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