“Prime. I hope you did, too,” he replied, sitting down upon a chair near her own.
Yet she did not look as if she had, and the child opened his lips to remark this; but she motioned him to be quiet, and immediately took up the Bible lying ready on a little stand beside her. He noticed that all the servants were present, sitting in an orderly row upon one side of the room, which was very still. Then Miss Lucy read a portion of the Word and offered a brief prayer, to which Towsley listened in a scared sort of way. For she mentioned him in her petition, asking for a blessing upon the new relation established between them.
This gave the matter a dignity and importance really startling to the waif. If he and what happened to him were worth mentioning to the Lord he had no right to grumble about them; and, during that few moments upon his knees, there was born in the boy’s heart a self-respect that was never after to forsake him.
But when they had taken their places at the table, and Mary was passing the food, he saw how Miss Lucy’s hand shook, and inquired, anxiously:
“Miss Lucy, are you sick? What makes you tremble so? Are you cold? Can I get you something?”
She was much pleased by his quick observation, yet shook her head in a way that made him understand he was to ask no more questions while Mary remained in the room. After she had served them and gone, he ventured again:
“Didn’t you sleep as nice as I did, Miss Lucy? You look awful tired.”
The little lady regarded him very attentively for a moment. Then she inquired:
“Lionel, if I tell you a secret, will you keep it?”
“Yes, indeed. I will. Hope to die if I don’t.”