"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. But all at once you opened your eyes and--being out o'
your mind, and not seeing us--delirious, d' ye see, Barnabas, you
began to speak. 'No,' says you very fierce, 'No! I love you so much
that I can never ask you to be the wife of Barnabas Barty. Mine must
be the harder way, always. The harder way! The harder way!' says you,
over and over again. And so we left you, but your voice follered us
down the stairs--ah, and out o' the house, 'the harder way!' says
you, 'the harder way'--over and over again."
"Ah! that you did, lad!" nodded John solemnly.
"So now, Barnabas, we'd like the liberty to ax you, John and me,
what you meant by it?"
"Ah--that's the question, Barnabas!" said John, fixing his gaze on
the bell-mouthed blunderbuss that hung over the mantel, "what might
it all mean--that's the question, lad."
"It means, father and Natty Bell, that I have been all the way to
London to learn what you, being so much wiser than I, tried to teach
me--that a sow's ear is not a silk purse, nor ever can be."
"But," said John, beginning to rasp at his chin again, "there's
Adam--what of Adam? You'll remember as you said--and very sensible
too. Natty Bell--you'll remember as you said--"