'Have you been at the Widow Brown's?'
'Just come from there.'
'How is Bill?'
'Better; pretty weak though yet.'
'Can he talk yet?'
'Not much.'
'Not much! Can he talk at all? if he can I want to know it. But where are you going now?'
'Not far; up north a short distance.'
'You can't go now; sit down—I want to talk to you.'
David obeyed without making any reply; he did not fancy his father's talks very much, but he feared to offend him.