'
'Perhaps, Ma'am, you'd let me see him?'
'See him?'
'Yes, look on him, Ma'am, only for a moment you know.'
She looked very much surprised, and perhaps a little curious and
frightened.
'I hope you haven't heard he's worse, Mr. Dangerfield. Oh, Sir, sure you
haven't?'
'No, Madam, on my honour, except from yourself, I've heard nothing of
him to-day; but I'd like to see him, and speak a word to you, with your
permission.'
So Mrs. Sturk led the way up stairs, whispering as she ascended; for she
had always the fancy in her head that her Barney was in a sweet light
sleep, from which he was on no account to be awakened, forgetting, or
not clearly knowing, that all the ordnance in the barrack-yard over the
way had not voice enough to call him up from that dread slumber.
'You may go down, my dear,' said Mr. Dangerfield to the little girl, who
rose silently from the chair as they entered; 'with your permission,
Mistress Sturk--I say, child, you may run down,' and he smiled a
playful, sinister smile, with a little wave of his finger toward the
door. So she courtesied and vanished obediently.
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