“I suppose so,” said Hallett; “but about payment for your wife’s services?”
“Why, you do pay me,” said Revitts sturdily. “She gets braxfuses, and dinners, and teas—no end.”
“Yes, but that counts for nothing.”
“Oh, don’t it,” said Revitts, laughing. “You ask Ant’ny about that, and how him and me used to dodge to make the money run to good meals. Look here, Mr Hallett, sir, I’m only a humble sort of a chap, but you’ve always been kindly to me, and I hope it ain’t no disrespect to you to call you a friend.”
“I’m only too glad to call you ‘friend,’ Revitts,” said Hallett, holding out his hand, which the other gripped like a vice, “and I thank Antony Grace for making me known to two such good hearted people as you and your worthy wife.”
“Thanky, sir, for Mary—thanky,” exclaimed Revitts, nodding his head. “She’s a good one, and no mistake; and as for her bit of temper, Antony,” he said, speaking as if he were very much moved, as he turned to me, “that bit of rough is like ballast to her, and keeps her down; for, if it wasn’t for her tantrums, I believe she’d have been an angel long ago, and then—what should I have done? Lor’ bless you both, they call us pleecemen lobsters, raw lobsters, to distinguish us from the soldiers, and because we’re dark blue and so hard; but I’m soft enough inside, and that woman knows it, too. Well, sir, about this remooneration—as you call it. Look here, she won’t take no money, so I’ll tell you what you do by-and-by when she’s nursed Miss Linny back to health—as she will, you mark my words if she don’t—better than any doctor. It’s a treat, to be ill under her. Lord’s truth!” cried the great fellow, smiling and looking as silly as a fat boy, “the way she’d wash my face and neck, and go in an’ out o’ my ears with the sponge and towel without hurting, was ’eavenly.”
Hallett could not forbear a smile, and I roared.
“Ah, you may grin, Ant’ny my lad, but you’ll see, some day when you’re on your back, she’s the best nuss that ever lived. There!”
“She is, indeed, Revitts,” cried Hallett, “and—Heaven bless her! my poor mother has not been so well for months as she has been since your wife has tended her.”
“There, Ant’ny, hear that!” cried Revitts. “She’s a woman to be proud on—that she is.”