"How do you know?"
"He said it, before me, to Miss Grainger. He said I was to be neither a governess nor a lady; and that a common-place education, and some decent occupation, were to be my destiny." The words had stung me to the quick at the time, and had never been forgotten. As I repeated them, the blood rushed up to the face of Cornelius O'Reilly; his look lit; his lip trembled with all the quickness of emotion of his race.
"But you shall be a lady," he exclaimed, with rapid warmth. "Your father, who was an Irish gentleman born and bred, gave me the education of a gentleman; and I will give you the education of a lady,—so help me God!"
He drew and pressed me to him. I looked up at him, and said, "I should not take up much room." He seemed surprised at the observation.
I continued—"And Mrs. Marks says I eat so little." Cornelius looked perplexed.
"Will you take me with you?" I asked earnestly.
Cornelius drew in a long breath.
"You are an odd child!" he said.
I passed my arms around his neck, and asked again, "Will you take me with you?"
"Why do you want me to take you?"