he was in a state of excitement and impatience, I turned to
put on an outer coat which I had thrown off on entering the room,
purposing to say no more. I was surprised to see the child standing
patiently by with a cloak upon her arm, and in her hand a hat, and
stick.

'Those are not mine, my dear,' said I.

'No,' returned the child, 'they are grandfather's.'

'But he is not going out to-night.'

'Oh, yes, he is,' said the child, with a smile.

'And what becomes of you, my pretty one?'

'Me! I stay here of course. I always do.'

I looked in astonishment towards the old man, but he was, or feigned to
be, busied in the arrangement of his dress. From him I looked back to
the slight gentle figure of the child. Alone! In that gloomy place all
the long, dreary night.

She evinced no consciousness of my surprise, but cheerfully helped the
old man with his cloak, and when he was ready took a candle to light us
out. Finding that we did not follow as she expected, she looked back
with a smile and waited for us. The old man showed by his face that he
plainly understood the cause of my hesitation, but he merely signed to
me with an inclination of the head to pass out of the room before him,
and remained silent. I had no resource but to comply.

When we reached the door, the child setting down the candle, turned to
say good night and raised her face to kiss me. Then she ran to the old
man, who folded her in his arms and bade God bless her.

'Sleep soundly, Nell,' he said in a low voice, 'and angels guard thy
bed! Do not forget thy prayers, my sweet.'

'No, indeed,' answered the child fervently, 'they make me feel so
happy!'

'That's well; I know they do; they should,' said the old man. 'Bless
thee a hundred times! Early in the morning I shall be home.'

'You'll not ring twice,' returned the child. 'The bell wakes me, even
in the middle of a dream.'

With this, they separated. The child opened the door (now guarded by a
shutter which I had heard the boy put up before he left the house) and
with another farewell whose clear and tender note I have recalled a
thousand times, held it until we had passed out. The old man paused a
moment while it was gently closed and fastened on the inside, and
satisfied that this was done, walked on at a slow pace. At the
street-corner he stopped, and regarding me with a troubled countenance
said that our ways were widely different and that he must take his
leave. I would have spoken, b