How came I by that knife? Ax Bridgy Pope; she knows the knife well enough, too—I guess—don’t you, Bridgy?
I guess I do, Robert Eveleth, whispered the child, the tears running down her cheeks, and every breath a sob.
You’ve seen it afore, may be?
That I have, Robert Eveleth; but I never expected to see ... to see ... to see it again ... alive ... nor you neither.
And why not, pray? said one of the judges.
Why not, Mr. Major! why, ye see ’tis a bit of a keep-sake she gin me, jest afore we started off on that are vyage arter the goold.
The voyage when they were all cast away, sir ... after they’d fished up the gold, sir....
Ah, but the goold was safe then, Bridgy—
But I knew how ’twould be Sir, said the poor girl turning to the judge with a convulsive sob, and pushing away the hair from her face and trying to get up, I never expected to see Robert Eveleth again Sir—I said so too—nor the knife either—I said so before they went away——.
So she did Mr. Judge, that’s a fact; she told me so down by the beach there, just by that big tree that grows over the top o’ the new school-house there—You know the one I mean—that one what hangs over the edge o’ the hill just as if ’twas a-goin’ to fall into the water—she heard poor mother Good say as much when her Billy would go to sea whether or no, at the full o’ the moon——.