“No, sir.”
“Excellent!” murmured Sir John, and sighed immediately.
“I mentioned the matter to nobody, sir—except ... Her, your honour.”
“Her?” exclaimed Sir John, starting. “’S death, man, she is the very last person—hum! Whom d’ye mean, Bob? What ‘her’?”
“The—one and only, sir ... Ann, your honour.”
“Ha! And d’you tell her—everything?”
“Well—very near, sir.”
“And she still loves ye, Bob ... art sure?”
“I venter so to believe, sir. She—she tells me so, your honour.”
“A good woman’s abiding love,” sighed Sir John, “is a very precious thing to a man o’ sentiment.”