He scarcely seemed to be the prisoner. What with his coolness and his soldierly bearing, he looked far more like the prison guard.
“This is even a rougher place than my gallery to receive a lady in,” said Mr. George, “but I know Miss Summerson will make the best of it.” As he handed me to the bench on which he had been sitting, I sat down, which seemed to give him great satisfaction.
“I thank you, miss,” said he.
“Now, George,” observed my guardian, “as we require no new assurances on your part, so I believe we need give you none on ours.”
“Not at all, sir. I thank you with all my heart. If I was not innocent of this crime, I couldn’t look at you and keep my secret to myself under the condescension of the present visit. I feel the present visit very much. I am not one of the eloquent sort, but I feel it, Miss Summerson and gentlemen, deeply.”
He laid his hand for a moment on his broad chest and bent his head to us. Although he squared himself again directly, he expressed a great amount of natural emotion by these simple means.
“First,” said my guardian, “can we do anything for your personal comfort, George?”
“For which, sir?” he inquired, clearing his throat.
“For your personal comfort. Is there anything you want that would lessen the hardship of this confinement?”
“Well, sir,” replied George, after a little cogitation, “I am equally obliged to you, but tobacco being against the rules, I can’t say that there is.”
“You will think of many little things perhaps, by and by. Whenever you do, George, let us know.”