“Thank you,” said Judith. Then she turned to Uncle Zachie.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
“It is to let Jamie live here, he is more likely to be well employed, less likely to get in wrong courses, than at the Glaze. Alas! I cannot be with him always and everywhere, and I cannot trust him there. Here he has his occupation; he can help you with the birds. There he has nothing, and the men he meets are not such as I desire that he should associate with. Besides, you know, uncle, what occurred last night, and why I am anxious to get him away.”
“Yes,” answered the old man; “I’ll do my best. He shall be welcome here.”
“Moreover, Captain Coppinger dislikes him. He might in a fit of anger maltreat him; I cannot say that he would, but he makes no concealment of his dislike.”
“Send Jamie here.”
“And then I can come every day and see him, how he is getting on, and can encourage him with his work, and give him his lessons as usual.”
“It will always be a delight to me to have you here.”
“And to me—to come.” She might have said, “to be away from Pentyre,” but she refrained from saying that. With a faint smile—a smile that was but the twinkle of a tear—she held out her hand to say farewell.