第47章

There，thetablewaslaidforhissupper，andhisoldgreygownwasreadyforhimonhischair-backatthefire。Hisdaughterputherlittleprayer-bookinherpocket——hadshebeenprayingforpityonallprisonersandcaptives!——androsetowelcomehim。

Unclehadgonehome，then？sheasked@asshechangedhiscoatandgavehimhisblackvelvetcap。Yes，unclehadgonehome。Hadherfatherenjoyedhiswalk？Why，notmuch，Amy；notmuch。No!Didhenotfeelquitewell？

Asshestoodbehindhim，leaningoverhischairsolovingly，helookedwithdowncasteyesatthefire。Anuneasinessstoleoverhimthatwaslikeatouchofshame；andwhenhespoke，ashepresentlydid，itwasinanunconnectedandembarrassedmanner。

’Something，I——hem!——Idon’tknowwhat，hasgonewrongwithChivery。Heisnot——ha!——notnearlysoobligingandattentiveasusualto-night。It——hem!——it’salittlething，butitputsmeout，mylove。It’simpossibletoforget，’turninghishandsoverandoverandlookingcloselyatthem，’that——hem!——thatinsuchalifeasmine，Iamunfortunatelydependentonthesemenforsomethingeveryhourintheday。’

Herarmwasonhisshoulder，butshedidnotlookinhisfacewhilehespoke。Bendingherheadshelookedanotherway。

’I——hem!——Ican’tthink，Amy，whathasgivenChiveryoffence。Heisgenerallyso——soveryattentiveandrespectful。Andto-nighthewasquite——quiteshortwithme。Otherpeopletheretoo!Why，goodHeaven!ifIwastolosethesupportandrecognitionofChiveryandhisbrotherofficers，Imightstarvetodeathhere。’Whilehespoke，hewasopeningandshuttinghishandslikevalves；soconsciousallthetimeofthattouchofshame，thatheshrunkbeforehisownknowledgeofhismeaning。

’I——ha!——Ican’tthinkwhatit’sowingto。IamsureIcannotimaginewhatthecauseofitis。TherewasacertainJacksonhereonce，aturnkeyofthenameofJackson(Idon’tthinkyoucanrememberhim，mydear，youwereveryyoung)，and——hem!——andhehada——brother，andthis——youngbrotherpaidhisaddressesto——atleast，didnotgosofarastopayhisaddressesto——butadmired——

respectfullyadmired——the——notdaughter，thesister——ofoneofus；

aratherdistinguishedCollegian；Imaysay，verymuchso。HisnamewasCaptainMartin；andheconsultedmeonthequestionwhetherItwasnecessarythathisdaughter——sister——shouldhazardoffendingtheturnkeybrotherbybeingtoo——ha!——tooplainwiththeotherbrother。CaptainMartinwasagentlemanandamanofhonour，andIputittohimfirsttogivemehis——hisownopinion。CaptainMartin(highlyrespectedinthearmy)thenunhesitatinglysaidthatitappearedtohimthathis——hem!——sisterwasnotcalledupontounderstandtheyoungmantoodistinctly，andthatshemightleadhimon——Iamdoubtfulwhether“leadhimon“wasCaptainMartin’sexactexpression：indeedIthinkhesaidtoleratehim——onherfather’s——Ishouldsay，brother’s——account。IhardlyknowhowI

havestrayedintothisstory。IsupposeithasbeenthroughbeingunabletoaccountforChivery；butastotheconnectionbetweenthetwo，Idon’tsee——’

Hisvoicediedaway，asifshecouldnotbearthepainofhearinghim，andherhandhadgraduallycrepttohislips。Foralittlewhiletherewasadeadsilenceandstillness；andheremainedshrunkinhischair，andsheremainedwithherarmroundhisneckandherheadboweddownuponhisshoulder。

Hissupperwascookinginasaucepanonthefire，and，whenshemoved，itwastomakeitreadyforhimonthetable。Hetookhisusualseat，shetookhers，andhebeganhismeal。Theydidnot，asyet，lookatoneanother。Bylittleandlittlehebegan；layingdownhisknifeandforkwithanoise，takingthingsupsharply，bitingathisbreadasifhewereoffendedwithit，andinothersimilarwaysshowingthathewasoutofsorts。Atlengthhepushedhisplatefromhim，and