'No, dear, not the baby. She is only three months old, Mr. Meadow.'
'But such a wise little dear!' added Mary. 'I do believe she begins to understand already.'
Then Mrs. Silver went on to tell me that Mary, the eldest girl--woman now, indeed, twenty-four years of age--held a responsible position in a government telegraph-office; that Charley was a compositor; that Richard was a watchmaker; and that Rachel was as useful as any of them, for she did all the needlework of the house. Rachel was working a black-silk watch-guard for Richard, and it surprised me to see how nimble her fingers were. She was listening intently to every word that passed, and when I first spoke, she paused in her work to pay attention to my voice.
'I want you to know exactly all about us,' said Mrs. Silver, 'and to interest you in us, for I have made up my mind--pray excuse me for it--that you are necessary to our plans. In a word, I wish to enlist you.'
Rachel did a singular thing here--something which made a great impression upon me. She left the room, and returned with a small piece of bread dipped in salt. She held the plate towards me.
'Pray eat this piece of bread, Mr. Meadow,' she said.
I took the bread, and ate it.
'Now, mother,' said Rachel, with a satisfied expression, 'Mr. Meadow is enlisted.'
'Yes,' I said, addressing Mrs. Silver; 'I am one of your soldiers.'
'Ah,' rejoined Mrs. Silver; 'but I want you to be my captain.'