"You _know_ I belong to you as much
as if you were my very own father! I am sure my father will say so when
we see him. He will never come between you and me."
He gave a great sigh, and his face grew so intense that I felt as if I
had no right to look on it.
"It is one of the deepest hopes of my existence," he said, "to give you
back to him the best of daughters. Be good, my darling, be good, even if
you die of sorrow because of it."
The intensity had faded to a deep sadness, and there came a silence.
"Would you like me to go now, uncle?" I asked.
"I wish I could see Mr. Day at once," he returned, "but I am so far from
strong, that I fear both weakness and injustice. Tell him I want very
much to see him, and will let him know as soon as I am able."
"Thank you, uncle! He will be so glad! Of course he can't feel as I do,
but he does feel that to do anything you did not like, would be just
horrid."
"And you will not see him again, little one, after he has taken you home,
till I have had some talk with him?"
"Of course I will not, uncle."
I bade him good-bye, had a few moments' conference with Martha, and found
John at the place appointed.
CHAPTER XVIII.
JOHN SEES SOMETHING.
As we rode, I told him everything. It did not seem in the least strange
that I should be so close to one of whom a few days before I had never
heard; it seemed as if all my life I had been waiting for him, and now he
was come, and everything was only as it should be! We were very quiet in
our gladness.
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