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222 THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH.
and I married her. I wish I never had ! For her sake; not for mine! "
The Toy-merchant gazed at him, without winking. Even the half-shut eye was open now.
" Heaven bless her ! " said the Carrier, " for the cheerful constancy with which she tried to keep the knowledge of this from me ! And Heaven help me, that, in my slow mind, I have not found it out before ! Poor child ! Poor Dot! I not to find it out, who have seen her eyes fill with tears, when such a marriage as our own was spoken of! I, who have seen the secret trembling on her lips a hundred times, and never suspected it, till last night! Poor girl! That I could ever hope she would be fond of me ! That I could ever believe she was !"
" She made a show of it," said Tackleton. " She made such a show of it, that to tell you the truth it was the origin of my misgivings."
And here he asserted the superiority of May Fielding, who certainly made no sort of show of being fond of him.
" She has tried," said the poor Carrier, with greater emotion than he had exhibited yet; " I only now begin to know how hard she has tried; to be my dutiful and zealous wife. How good she has been; how much she has done; how brave and strong a heart she has; let the happiness I have known under this roof bear witness! It will be some help and comfort to me, when I am here alone."
" Here alone ?" said Tackleton. " Oh ! Then you do mean to take some notice of this ?"
"I mean," returned the Carrier, "to do her the greatest kindness, and make her the best reparation, in my power. I can release her from the daily pain of an unequal marriage, and the struggle to conceal it. She shall be as free as I can render her."
" Make her reparation !" exclaimed Tackleton, twisting and turning his great ears with his hands. " There must be something wrong here. You didn't say that, of course."
The Carrier set his grip upon the collar of the Toy-merchant, and shook him like a reed.
"Listen to me !" he said. "And take care that you hear me right. Listen to me. Do I speak plainly ?"
" Very plainly indeed," answered Tackleton.
"As if I meant rU"
" Very much as if you meant it."
"I sat upon that hearth, last night, all night," exclaimed the Carrier. " On the spot where she has often sat beside me, with her sweet face looking into mine. I called up her whole life, day |
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