| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 1 | 133 | 265 | 398 | 530 |
|
in which thou has grown to be what thou art, and in which thou hast
lived apart from nearly all thy kind but one old man; I sometimes fear
I have dealt hardly by thee, Nell.'
'
Grandfather!' cried the child in unfeigned surprise. 'Not in intention -
no no,' said he. 'I have ever looked forward to the time that should
enable thee to mix among the gayest and prettiest, and take thy
station with the best. But I still look forward, Nell, I still look forward,
and if I should be forced to leave thee, meanwhile, how have I fitted
thee for struggles with the world? The poor bird yonder is as well
qualified to encounter it, and be turned adrift upon its mercies - Hark!
I hear Kit outside. Go to him, Nell, go to him.'
She rose, and hurrying away, stopped, turned back, and put her arms
about the old man's neck, then left him and hurried away again - but
faster this time, to hide her falling tears.
'
A word in your ear, sir,' said the old man in a hurried whisper. 'I have
been rendered uneasy by what you said the other night, and can only
plead that I have done all for the best - that it is too late to retract, if I
could (though I cannot) - and that I hope to triumph yet. All is for her
sake. I have borne great poverty myself, and would spare her the
sufferings that poverty carries with it. I would spare her the miseries
that brought her mother, my own dear child, to an early grave. I would
leave her - not with resources which could be easily spent or
squandered away, but with what would place her beyond the reach of
want for ever. you mark me sir? She shall have no pittance, but a
fortune - Hush! I can say no more than that, now or at any other time,
and she is here again!'
The eagerness with which all this was poured into my ear, the
trembling of the hand with which he clasped my arm, the strained and
starting eyes he fixed upon me, the wild vehemence and agitation of
his manner, filled me with amazement. All that I had heard and seen,
and a great part of what he had said himself, led me to suppose that
he was a wealthy man. I could form no comprehension of his
character, unless he were one of those miserable wretches who,
having made gain the sole end and object of their lives and having
succeeded in amassing great riches, are constantly tortured by the
dread of poverty, and best by fears of loss and ruin. Many things he
had said which I had been at a loss to understand, were quite
reconcilable with the idea thus presented to me, and at length I
concluded that beyond all doubt he was one of this unhappy race.
The opinion was not the result of hasty consideration, for which
indeed there was no opportunity at that time, as the child came
directly, and soon occupied herself in preparations for giving Kit a
writing lesson, of which it seemed he had a couple every week, and
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