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thing ath ever you thet your eyeth on! And you remember Emma Gordon, my dear, ath wath amotht a mother to you? Of courthe you do; I neednt athk. Well! Emma, thee lotht her huthband. He wath throwd a heavy back-fall off a Elephant in a thort of a Pagoda thing ath the Thultan of Indieth, and he never got the better of it; and thee married a thecond time married a Cheethemonger ath fell in love with her from the front and heth a Overtheer and makin a fortun. These various changes, Mr Sleary, very short of breath now, related with great heartiness, and with a wonderful kind of innocence, considering what a bleary and brandy-and-watery old veteran he was. Afterwards he brought in Josephine, and E. W. B. Childers (rather deeply lined in the jaws by daylight), and the Little Wonder of Scholastic Equitation, and in a word, all the company. Amazing creatures they were in Louisas eyes, so white and pink of complexion, so scant of dress, and so demonstrative of leg; but it was very agreeable to see them crowding about Sissy, and very natural in Sissy to be unable to refrain from tears. There! Now Thethilia hath kithd all the children, and hugged all the women, and thaken handth all round with all the men, clear, every one of you, and ring in the band for the thecond part! As soon as they were gone, he continued in a low tone. Now, Thethilia, I dont athk to know any thecreth, but I thuppothe I may conthider thith to be Mith Thquire. This is his sister. Yes. And tother onth daughter. Thath what I mean. Hope I thee you well, mith. And I hope the Thquireth well? My father will be here soon, said Louisa, anxious to bring him to the point. Is my brother safe? Thafe and thound! he replied. I want you jutht to take a peep at the Ring, mith, through here. Thethilia, you know the dodgeth; find a thpy-hole for yourthelf. They each looked through a chink in the boards. Thath Jack the Giant Killer piethe of comic infant bithnith, said Sleary. Thereth a property-houthe, you thee, for Jack to hide in; thereth my Clown with a thauthepan-lid and a thpit, for Jackth thervant; thereth little Jack himthelf in a thplendid thoot of armour; thereth two comic black thervanth twithe ath big ath the houthe, to thtand by it and to bring it in and clear it; and the Giant (a very ecthpenthive bathket one), he ant on yet. Now, do you thee em all? Yes, they both said. Look at em again, said Sleary, look at em well. You thee em all? Very good. Now, mith; he put a form for them to sit on; I have my opinionth, and the Thquire your father hath hith. I dont want to know what your brotherth been up to; ith better for me not to know. All I thay ith, the Thquire hath thtood by Thethilia, and Ill thtand by the Thquire. Your brother ith one o them black thervanth. Louisa uttered an exclamation, partly of distress, partly of satisfaction. Ith a fact, said Sleary, and even knowin it, you couldnt put your finger on him. Let the Thquire come. I thall keep your brother here after the performanth. I thant undreth him, nor yet wath hith paint off. Let the Thquire come here after the performanth, or come here yourthelf after the performanth, and you thall find your brother, and have the whole plathe to talk to him in. Never mind the lookth of him, ath long ath heth well hid. Louisa, with many thanks and with a lightened load, detained Mr Sleary no longer then. She left her love for her brother, with her eyes full of tears; and she and Sissy went away until later in the afternoon. |
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