“Good-bye, Joe, old fellow,” said Uncle Dick, gripping his hand fast. “I’ll take care of Nat.”
“Yes, yes, you will, won’t you?” he cried.
“Indeed I will, Joe, indeed I will; and now once more good-bye, old fellow, I’m off. Till we meet again. Come after me soon, Nat.”
Uncle Dick went away so as to leave us together, and no sooner were we alone than Uncle Joe hesitated for a moment, and then hugged me to his breast.
“Good-bye; God bless you, my boy!” he cried. “It’s all for the best, and I won’t worry about your going; only come back to me as soon as you can, and mind you write.”
I can remember that there was a curious dim look about everything just then, and that Uncle Dick was very quiet in the cab; and so he was in the train, speaking to me hardly at all, and afterwards he read to himself nearly all the way to Paris, after which he suddenly seemed to turn merry and bright, and chatted to me in the heartiest way.