Alaric had nothing for it but to repeat again that he felt himself grateful for Captain Cuttwater's good opinion.
'Not that I have anything to say against Mr. Norman--a very nice young man, indeed, he is, very nice, though perhaps not quite so cheerful in his manners as he might be.'
Alaric began to take his friend's part, and declared what a very worthy fellow Harry was.
'I am sure of it--I am sure of it,' said Uncle Bat; 'but everybody can't be A 1; and a man can't make everybody his heir.'
Alaric pricked up his ears. So after all Captain Cuttwater was right in calling his communication important. But what business had Captain Cuttwater to talk of making new heirs?--had he not declared that the Woodwards were his heirs?
'I have got a little money, Mr. Alaric,' he went on saying in a low modest tone, very different from that he ordinarily used; 'I have got a little money--not much--and it will of course go to my niece here.'
'That is to say--it will go to her children, which is all the same thing.'
'But my idea is this: if a man has saved a few pounds himself, I think he has a right to give it to those he loves best. Now I have no children of my own.'
Alaric declared himself aware of the fact.
'Not if you don't marry,' said Alaric, who felt rather at a loss for a proper answer. He could not, however, have made a better one.
'No; that's what I mean; but I don't think I shall marry. I am very well contented here, and I like Surbiton Cottage amazingly.'
'No, I don't suppose I shall ever have any children of my own,'--and then Uncle Bat sighed gently--'and so I have been considering whom I should like to adopt.'
'Whom I should like to adopt. I should like to have one whom I could call in a special manner my own. Now, Mr. Alaric, I have made up my mind, and who do you think it is?'
'Oh! Captain Cuttwater, I couldn't guess on such a matter. I shouldn't like to guess wrong.'
'Perhaps not--no; that's right;--well then, I'll tell you; it's Gertrude.'
Alaric was well aware that it was Gertrude before her name had been pronounced.
'Yes, it's Gertrude; of course I couldn't go out of Bessie's family--of course it must be either Gertrude, or Linda, or Katie. Now Linda and Katie are very well, but they haven't half the gumption that Gertrude has.'