Still I smoked on. He had had a long talk with Weston,
perhaps, and had stopped downstairs for a minute with Mary. She had
told him all. How astounded the boy must be! Why, it would take her a
half hour at least to convince him that she spoke the truth when she
told him she was to marry his wreck of a brother; then when he believed
it, another half hour would hardly be enough for him to welcome her
into the family of Hope, and to talk over the wonderful fortunes of its
sons. Doubtless he had felt it incumbent on himself to sing my
praises, for he had always been blind to my faults. In this
possibility of his tarrying to display my virtues there was some
compensation for my sitting alone, with old Captain and young Colonel,
both sleeping, and only my pipe for company. Of course, I should
really be there with Tim, but Nanny Pulsifer and Mrs. Spiker had
decreed otherwise. Who knows how great may be my reward for bringing
them safely past the graveyard!
The third pipe snuffled out. I opened the door and listened.
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