The old lady jumped
back the matter of a foot or more, she positively looked skared, as if
the old gentleman would think somebody was a kissin' of her.
"Oh dear, I thought I should have teeheed right out. She seemed
utterly confounded, and Flora looked, as she was, the dear critter, so
artless and innocent! It dumbfoundered her completely. Still she
warn't quite satisfied.
"'What's this chair doing so far in the chimbley corner?' said she.
"How glad I was there warn't two there. The fact is, we never used but
one, we was quite young, and it was always big enough for us both.
"Flora talked Gaelic as fast as hail, slipt off her shoes, sat down on
it, put her feet to the fire, folded her arms across her bosom, laid
her head back and looked so sweet and so winnin' into mother's face,
and said, 'cha n'eil Beurl' (I have no English), and then proceeded in
Gaelic--
"'If you hadn't sat in that place yourself, when you was young, I
guess you wouldn't be so awful scared at it, you old goose you.'
"I thought I never saw her look so lovely. Mother was not quite
persuaded she was wrong after all. She looked all round agin, as if
she was sure I was there, and then came towards the door where I was,
so I sloped up-stairs like a shadow on the wall, and into bed in no
time; but she followed up and came close to me, and holdin the candle
in my face, said:
"'Sam, are you asleep?'
"Well, I didn't answer.
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