‚ÄúMy God‚ÅÝ‚Äîit walks‚ÅÝ‚Äîlike my wife‚ÅÝ‚ÄîI tell you‚ÅÝ‚Äîshe held her head so‚ÅÝ‚Äîwho is it?‚Äù He half rose.
‚ÄúOh, father, it‚Äôs nobody but Emma‚ÅÝ‚Äîlittle Emma‚ÅÝ‚ÄîBertie‚Äôs child‚ÅÝ‚Äîthe mulatto girl. She‚Äôs a nurse now, and I asked to have her come and attend you.‚Äù
‚ÄúOh,‚Äù he said, ‚Äúoh‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù He looked at the girl curiously. ‚ÄúCome here.‚Äù He peered into her white young face. ‚ÄúDo you know me?‚Äù
The girl shrank away from him.
“Yes, sir.”
“What do you do?”
“I teach and nurse at the school.”
‚ÄúGood! Well, I‚Äôm going to give you some money‚ÅÝ‚Äîdo you know why?‚Äù
A flash of self-consciousness passed over the girl’s face; she looked at him with her wide blue eyes.
“Yes, Grandfather,” she faltered.
Mrs. ¬ÝCresswell rose to her feet; but the old man slowly dropped the girl‚Äôs hand and lay back in his chair, with lips half smiling. ‚ÄúGrandfather,‚Äù he repeated softly. He closed his eyes a space and then opened them. A tremor shivered in his limbs as he stared darkly at the swamp.
‚ÄúHark!‚Äù he cried harshly. ‚ÄúDo you hear the bodies creaking on the limbs? It‚Äôs Rob and Johnson. I did it‚ÅÝ‚ÄîI‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù