"O Jem, Jem! don"t hold them so tight! What do they say?"
"Why, some good news. Come, give a guess what it is."
"Oh, tell me! I cannot guess," said Mary.
"Then you give it up, do you? What do you say, mother?"
Jane Wilson thought a moment.
"Will and Margaret are married?" asked she.
"Not exactly,--but very near. The old woman has twice the spirit of the young one. Come, Mary, give a guess?"
He covered his little boy"s eyes with his hands for an instant, significantly, till the baby pushed them down, saying in his imperfect way--
"Tan"t see."
"There now! Johnnie can see. Do you guess, Mary?"
"They"ve done something to Margaret to give her back her sight!"
exclaimed she.
"They have. She has been couched, and can see as well as ever. She and Will are to be married on the twenty-fifth of this month, and he"s bringing her out next voyage; and Job Legh talks of coming too,--not to see you, Mary,--nor you, mother,--nor you, my little hero" (kissing him), "but to try and pick up a few specimens of Canadian insects, Will says. All the compliment is to the earwigs, you see, mother!"
"Dear Job Legh!" said Mary, softly and seriously.