“Then I shan’t never get drunk again. I’ll only take a little.”
“Oh! I am so glad,” cried Julia with girlish eagerness.
“Are you?” he said smiling, “then so am I. That’s settled then. I want to be as decent as I can. You see you’re such a good religious girl, Miss Julia, while I’m such a bad one.”
“But you could be better.”
“Could I? I don’t like being a hypocrite. I’m not ashamed to own that I was a bad one, and got into all that trouble in the old country.”
“Oh! hush, please. You did wrong, and were punished for it. Now all that is passed and forgiven.”
“I always said you were an angel,” said Crellock earnestly, “and you are.”
“Nonsense! Let us talk of something else.”
“No: let’s talk about that. I want to stand fair and square with you, and I don’t want you to think me a humbug and a hypocrite.”
“Mr Crellock, I never thought so well of you before,” said Julia warmly. “Your promise of amendment has made me feel so happy.”