Comethup, at that change in the old woman's voice, had unconsciously moved his hand along the table nearer toward her; she must have been aware of the movement, for she dropped her own unerringly upon it. "And even here, you see," she went on, "the Lord was good to me; I found this baby. I tried to find one before, but, oh! that boy! I sha'n't forget it in a hurry. He'll do big things, I don't doubt; there's no knowing what he will do; but he was too much for me. It's all surface--surface there; I suppose he can't help it, but it's all sparkle and dash and nothing else. This chap's different, I think."
"You're rather fond of the boy, aren't you?" she asked.
"We're very good friends," said the captain, with a smile at Comethup. "I was a lonely old man before he came; I suppose I shall be a lonely old man again. But I'm not--not such a curmudgeon that I can't be glad at his good fortune."
"Well spoken, well spoken," cried Miss Carlaw, rapping her knuckles on the table. "And you mustn't think you're losing the boy; I'll trot him down here to see you as often as I can spare him. And you must come up and pay me a visit in London; we'll always be glad to see you."
Comethup's face brightened, and the captain thanked Miss Carlaw cordially. She gave the old soldier permission to smoke, and signed to Comethup to produce a box of cigars, the best the inn could afford, from the side-board.
"You must forget my sex, you know, captain," she said, "and look upon me as a host rather than a hostess. I should probably smoke myself if it weren't that I'm afraid that I might startle this baby. Oh, I'm going to make a man of him, captain; I'm going to make a devilish fine man of him. And, by the Lord! I think he shall be a soldier."
The captain beamed upon her; saw in this the opportunity for the gratification of those desires he had had, but which he had seen so little prospect of carrying into effect. With the delighted boy sitting between them, they began eagerly to build plans for his future, until, before the captain took his leave, Comethup had grown, in their loving imagination, into a giant of six feet five at least, and was a guardsman in a shining helmet and with a long, drooping mustache. Finally, when the moment for parting came, this extraordinary old woman started up and insisted on the three of them joining hands and singing "For Auld Lang Syne" until the tears stood in Comethup's eyes and he wanted to embrace both his friends from sheer emotion.