Phil shook his head. "Sorry," he said, laconically.
"One good thing, he drank himself to death quick and left her free."
Phil held out the letter.
"Read it to me, please, Mr. Sidney."
"Can't do it," returned the young man with cheerful frankness. "It makes my nose tingle every time."
So Eliza read the letter in silence. It took her some minutes and when she had finished, her lip caught between her teeth, she took off her glasses and wiped them while she regarded Phil.
"And you've got to live up to that," she said.
"I'm going to try," he answered simply.
Eliza gazed at him, her hands in her lap. She felt old beside his youth, weak beside his strength, ignorant beside that knowledge which had stirred her mistress to exaltation. Nevertheless, the humble love, and desire to help him that swelled her heart was a new desire to live, a consecration.