Ye see--when you was so--so near
death--" But at this moment the door opened and two neat, mob-capped
maids entered and began to spread a cloth upon the table, and
scarcely had they departed when in came Natty Bell, his bright eyes
brighter than ever.
"Oh, Natty Bell!" exclaimed John, beckoning him near, "come to this
lad of ours--do, he's axing me questions, one a-top of t' other till
I don't know what! 'Do I know Lady Cleone?' says he; next it'll be
'how' and 'what' and 'where'--tell him all about it. Natty Bell--do."
"Why then--sit down and be sociable, John," answered Natty Bell,
drawing another chair to the fire and beginning to fill his pipe.
"Right, Natty Bell," nodded John, seating himself on the other side
of Barnabas, "fire away and tell our lad 'ow we came to know her,
Natty Bell."
"Why, then, Barnabas," Natty Bell began, as soon as his pipe was in
full blast, "when you was so ill, d' ye see, John and me used to
drive over frequent to see how you was, d' ye see. But you, being so
ill, we weren't allowed to go up and see you, so she used to come
down to us and--talk of you. Ah! and very sweet and gentle she
was--eh, man Jack?"
"Sweet!" echoed John, shaking his head, "a angel weren't sweeter!
Gentle? Ah, Natty Bell, I should say so--and that thoughtful of
us--well, there y' are!"
"But one day, Barnabas," Natty Bell continued, "arter we'd called a
good many times, she _did_ take us up to see you,--didn't she, John?"
"Ah, that she did, Natty Bell, God bless her!"
"And you was a-lying there with shut eyes--very pale and still,
Barnabas.
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