“God bless the worthy Fellow!” cries he, “I’ll do him a good Turn if I can, the first Time he’ll let me! ‘The good Lord accept every one that prepareth his Heart to seek God, the Lord God of his Fathers, even though he be not cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary!’—Well, Cherry, I must go! and that forthwith,—I would fain have tarried here while your Visit lasted.”
I looked quite blank at the Idea of being left behind; and said, “Must I, then, stay?”
“Why,” cried he, “what is to prevent you? Your Visit is not to me, Cherry!”
I said, “Oh, Sir, but ...” and stopped, for I did not know whether it were right to say I should feel so lonely without him. But the Tears came into my Eyes.
“I hope,” says he, in his kindest Way, “you will stay and have a very pleasant Visit.”
I said, “It won’t,—it can’t be pleasant now.”
“Cherry,” he said, yet more affectionately, “we shall soon meet again.... You shake your Head.—Well, our Lives are not in our own keeping, certainly, and may be called in the next Minute, here as well as in London. And I should not like to die away from my Post. But, Cherry, since you are inexpressibly dear to me, and I think I am, in a less Degree, dear to you, why, when we meet next, should we ever part again?—Nay, hear me, Cherry! for I have long meant to say this, though not quite so soon.... I thought it would seem so abrupt; I wanted to bring you to it by Degrees, lest I should get an Answer I did not like. For, indeed, Cherry, I know how much too old I am for you, how thoroughly unworthy of you.”
I could not stand this, and cried, “Oh, how can you say such Things, Sir! Unworthy of me, indeed! when any Woman——”
Might be proud to have you, was my Thought, but I did not say it.
“Cherry,” says he, “there was never——” And just at that Moment a Man shouted, “High!” at the Top of his Voice, and then, “Breakfast!”