"Mr. Hudson,
I have something I want to tell you very much."
I begged her to speak, pressing her cold little hand.
She proceeded: "I shall never forget that morning when you went away
the last time. You said you were going to Truro; but I'm not sure -
perhaps it was to London. I only know that it was very far away, and
you were going for a very long time. It was early in the morning, and I
was in bed. You know how late I always am. I heard you calling to me to
come down and say good-bye; so I jumped up and came down in my
nightdress and saw you standing waiting for me at the foot of the
stairs. Then, when I got down, you took me up in your arms and kissed
me. I shall never forget it!"
"Why?" I said, rather lamely, just because it was necessary to say
something. And after a little pause, she returned, "Because I shall
never forget it."
Then, as I said nothing, she resumed: "That day after school I saw
Uncle Charlie and told him, and he said: 'What! you allowed that tramp
to kiss you! then I don't want to take you on my knee any more - you've
lowered yourself too much."
"Did he dare to say that?" I returned.
