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XII

“They can hurt the memory of a dead man, and they can hurt his living children. How many children had this man?”

“Meaning Gaffer, Captain?”

“Of whom else are we speaking?” returned the other, with a movement of his foot, as if Rogue Riderhood were beginning to sneak before him in the body as well as the spirit, and he spurned him off. “I have heard of a daughter, and a son. I ask for information; I ask your daughter; I prefer to speak to her. What children did Hexam leave?”

Pleasant, looking to her father for permission to reply, that honest man exclaimed with great bitterness:

“Why the devil don’t you answer the Captain? You can Poll Parrot enough when you ain’t wanted to Poll Parrot, you perwerse jade!”

Thus encouraged, Pleasant explained that there were only Lizzie, the daughter in question, and the youth. Both very respectable, she added.

“It is dreadful

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