“No.”

“I is.”

She sat up in bed—and drew me closer. “An’ why, dear?” she asked, stroking my cheek.

“Along o’ what I heared in the dark, Bessie—at his door.”

“You’ve not been eavesdroppin’, Davy?” she chided.

“Oh, I wisht I hadn’t!”

“’Twas not well done.”

The moon was up, broadly shining behind the Watchman: my sister’s white little room—kept sweet and dainty in the way she had—was full of soft gray light; and I saw that her eyes were wide and moist.

“He’s wonderful restless, the night,” she mused.

“He’ve a great grief.”