rying
to speak carelessly. "Like himself. I'm so poor learned, I can't do
anything for sech as them. Like him. Jane," after another silence, "I've
seen IT."

She looked at him.

"The engine. Jane"--

"I know."

She turned sharply and walked away, the bluish light of the first
moonbeams lighting up her face and shoulders suddenly as she went off
down the wall. Was it that which brought out from the face of the
middle-aged working woman such a strange meaning of latent youth,
beauty, and passion? God only knows when the real childhood comes into a
life, how early or late; but one might fancy this woman had waited long
for hers, and it was coming to-night, the coarse hardness of look was
swept away so suddenly. The great thought and hope of her life surged up
quick, uncontrollably; her limbs shook, the big, mournful animal eyes
were wet with tears, her very horny hands worked together uncertainly
and helpless as a child's. On the face, too, especially about the mouth,
such a terror of pain, such a hungry wish to smile, to be tender, that I
think a baby would have liked to put up its lips then to be kissed, and
have hid its face on her neck.

"Summat ails her, sure," said Andy, stupidly watching her a moment or
two, and then going in to kick off his boots and eat his supper, warm on
the range.

The moonlight was cold; he shut it out, and sat meditating over his
cigar for an hour or two before the Quaker came in. When she did, he
went to light her night-lamp for her,--for he had an odd, old-fashioned
courtesy about him to women or the aged. He noticed, as he did it, that
her hair had fallen from the close, thin cap, and how singularly soft
and fine it was. She stood by the window, drawing her fingers through
the long, damp folds, in a silly, childish way.

"Good night, Andrew," as he gave it to her.

"Good night."

She looked at him gravely.

"I wish, lad--Would thee say, 'God bless thee, Jane'? It's long since as
I've heard that, an' there's no one but thee t' 'll say it."

The boy was touched.

"Often I thinks it, Jane,--often. Ye've been good to me these six years.
I was nothin' but a beggar's brat when ye took me in. I mind that,
though ye think I forget, when I'm newly rigged out sometimes. God bless
ye! yes, I'll say it: God knows I will."

She went out into the little passage. He heard her hesitate there a
minute. It was a double house: the kitchen and sitting-room at one side
of the narrow hall; at