And if you will believe it now, mother never would let me sit
up with her to keep her company and talk to her; but before she went
to bed herself, always saw me off to my own room. Well, it's easy to
make people go to bed, but it ain't just quite so easy to make them
stay there. So when I used to hear the old lady get fairly into hers,
for my room was next to father's, though we went by different stairs
to them, I used to go down in my stocking feet, and keep her company;
for I pitied her from my heart. And then we would sit in the corner of
the fire-place and talk Gaelic half the night. And you can't think how
pleasant it was. You laugh, Miss Janet, but it really was delightful;
they were the happiest hours I almost ever spent."
"Oh, I don't doubt it," she said, "of course they were."
"If you think so, Miss," said I, "p'raps you would finish the lessons
with me this evening, if you have nothing particular to do."
"Thank you, Sir," she said, laughing like anything. "I can speak
English sufficient for my purpose, and I agree with your mother,
Gaelic in this country is of no sort of use whatever; at least I am so
artless and unsophisticated as to think so. But go on, Sir."
"Well, mother two or three times came as near as possible catching me,
for she was awful afraid of lights and fires, she said, and couldn't
sleep sound if the coals weren't covered up with ashes, the hearth
swept, and the broom put into a tub of water, and she used to get up
and pop into the room very sudden; and though she warn't very light of
foot, we used to be too busy repeating words to keep watch as we
ought.
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