Volume Ii Part 82 (2/2)
”Yes; but there is an implied revelation of my own.”
”Do you expect to include me in the denomination of 'other people?' ”
”I don't know,” said Fleda, laughing.
”Do you wish it?”
Fleda looked down and up, and coloured, and said she didn't know.
”I will teach you,” said he, smiling.
The rest of the day, by both, was given to Hugh.
CHAPTER XXIV.
”O what is life but a sum of love, And death but to lose it all?
Weeds be for those that are left behind, And not for those that fall!”
MILNES.
”Here's something come, Fleda,” said Barby, walking into the sick-room one morning, a few days afterwards; ”a great bag of something ? more than you can eat up in a fortnight; it's for Hugh.”
”It's extraordinary that anybody should send me a great bag of anything eatable,” said Hugh.
”Where did it come from?” said Fleda.
”Philetus fetched it ? he found it down to Mr. Sampion's, when he went with the sheep-skins.”
”How do you know it's for me?” said Hugh.
” 'Cause it's written on, as plain as a pikestaff. I guess it's a mistake, though.”
”Why?” said Fleda; ”and what is it?”
”Oh, I don't much think 'twas meant for him,” said Barby.
”It's oysters.”
”Oysters!”
”Yes ? come out and look at 'em ? you never see such fine fellows. I've heerd say,” said Barby, abstractedly, as Fleda followed her out, and she displayed to view some magnificent Ostraceans ? ”I've heerd say that an English s.h.i.+lling was worth two American ones; but I never understood it rightly, till now.”
To all intents and purposes those were English oysters, and worth twice as much as any others, Fleda secretly confessed.
That evening, up in the sick room ? it was quite evening, and all the others of the family were taking rest, or keeping Mr.
Rossitur company down stairs ? Fleda was carefully roasting some of the same oysters for Hugh's supper. She had spread out a glowing bed of coals on the hearth, and there lay four or five of the big bivalves, snapping and sputtering in approbation of their quarters, in a most comfortable manner; and Fleda, standing before the fire, tended them with a double kind of pleasure. From one friend, and for another, those were most odorous oysters. Hugh sat watching them and her, the same in happy simplicity that he had been at eleven years old.
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