I will keep a
careful account of all expenditure, and ask him--my uncle, I mean--not
to give me any money, then there will be no confusion.
"Very well. I will go back to him now. He will be almost ready to come
in here. Write to me frequently. I shall try to look in to-morrow for a
few minutes."
Katherine stirred the fire, and placed a threadbare footstool before the
invalid's easy-chair, thanking Heaven in her heart for sending her such
an ally as the friendly lawyer.
Then Mr. Liddell appeared, leaning on Newton's arm, and not looking much
worse than usual, Katherine thought. He took no notice of her until she
put the footstool under his feet; then, wonderful to relate, he looked
down into her grave, kindly face and smiled, not bitterly or cynically,
but as if, on the whole, pleased to see her. He seemed a little
breathless, yet he soon began to speak to Newton as if in continuation
of their previous conversation--"And is Fergusson really a year younger
than I am?"
"Yes, quite a year, I should say, and he takes great care of himself. I
do not think he has really so good a constitution as you have, but he
takes everything that is strengthening--good wine, turtle soup, and I do
not know what."
"Ah, indeed!" returned Mr.
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