Anna's eyes opened wide in astonishment, and now that her prayer was answered her breath seemed to be suspended. "You will, sir?" she said.
"I will, on one condition.
"Oh, never mind the condition, let me go and tell him."
"My condition is that you give me the girl to adopt as my daughter."
"Ah!"
"I'm a lonely person, too, though I'm not so old as you are, and when I'm in England I haven't wife or child or mother or brother to share my life with me. The girl's sweet face would be a great comfort to me there, and I'm ready to pay this interest if you are willing to let her go."
The light had died out of Anna's eyes--her head was down.
"I should give you every guarantee that she would be taken care of. I am rich, as men of my class go, and she should want for nothing."
"But I didn't think your condition would be like that, sir," said Anna.
"Why not? Are you thinking of the girl or of yourself, landlady?"