Then let the others do it, Sarah.
Oh, Mrs. Osborne! they wont go agin the the new lady, as they calls her. Oh, they calls her just Patty and nasty names among themselves, but if you asks them to do a thing, they says, We wasnt hired to work for the likes of you and your Missus, Sal. Not a better word from one o them men, cried Sarah, not one of em! Theyre as frightened of her already as if she was the devil, and she isnt far short. Ill call him, maam, when theyre at their dinners; and, perhaps, youd give him a word, just a word, to say as how you think hes a lucky fellow to have got me, and that kind of thing as a true friend.
Is that the office of a true friend? said Margaret. It is a great thing in this life, which has so many hard passages, when you are able to be amused. Sarahs petition and the words which she kindly put into her mistresss mouth, did Margaret more good than a great deal of philosophy. She went away after a time to look for her boy and to tell her uncle of the decision she had come to. They were out, as usual, in the avenue, Sir Giles being wheeled along by a very glum Dunning, and Osy babbling and making his little excursions round and about the old gentlemans chair.
When I am a man, Osy was saying, I sall be far, far away from here. I sall be a soldier leading my tompany. I sant do what nobody tells me not you, Uncle Giles, nor Movver, nobody but the Queen.
And I shant be here at all, Osy, said the old man. When you come back a great Captain like your cousin Gerald, there will be no old Uncle Giles to tell you what you said when you were a little boy.
Why? said the child, coming up close to the chair. Will they put you down in the black hole with Aunt Piercey, Uncle Giles?
Master Osy, dont you speak of no such drefful things, said Dunning.
But Parsons said, She have don to heaven, said the child. I like Parsons way the best, for heavens a beauful place. Id like to go and see you there, Uncle Giles. You wouldnt want Dunning, youd have an angel to dwive you about.
Oh, my little man! said Sir Giles, I dont think I am worthy of an angel. Im more frightened for the angel than for the black hole, Osy. I dont think I want any better angel than you are, my nice little boy. I hope God will let me go on a little just quietly with Dunning, and you to talk to your old uncle. Tell me a little more about what you will do when you are a man. That amuses me most.
Uncle Giles, Cousin Gervase doesnt do very much though hes a man. Hes only don and dot marrwed. Im glad hes dot marrwed. I dave him my big silver penny for a marrwage present. If he hadnt been marrwed he would have tooked it, and a gemplemans souldnt never do that. So Im glad. Are you glad, Uncle Giles?
Never mind, never mind, my boy. Are you sure youll go to India, Osy, and fight all the Queens battles? She doesnt know what a great, grand champion shes going to have, like Goliath, said the old man with his rumbling laugh.
Goliaf, said Osy, gravely, wasnt a nice soldier. He was more big nor anybody and he bragged of it. Its grander to be the littlest and win. I am not very big, Uncle Giles, not at pwesent.
No, Osy. Thats true, my dear, said the old gentleman.
But Ill twy! cried the boy. Im not fwightened of big men. Theyre generwally, he added, half apologetically and with a struggle over the word, nice to little boys. Cousin Colonel, he is wather like Goliaf. He dave me a wide upon his soulder; but when he sawed Movver tomin, he Are big men ever fwightened of ladies, Uncle Giles?
Sometimes,
Osy, said Sir Giles, with a delighted laugh.
Then it was that! cried Osy. I touldnt understand. Oh, wait, Uncle Giles; just wait till I tatch that butterfly. Ill tatch him; Ill tatch him in a moment! Im a great one, the child sang, running off for tatching butterflies, for tatching Movver, movver, you sended it away.
What did the little shaver mean by giving a wedding present? said Sir Giles. Wheres my money, Dunning? have I got any money? If he gave my boy a wedding present, it was the the only one. Theyll come in now, perhaps, when it gets known; but Ill not forget Osy for that, Ill not forget Osy for that. Did you ever see a child like him, Dunning? I never saw a child like him, except our first one that we lost, said the old man with a sob. Did I ever tell you of our first that we lost? Just such a child; just such a child! And my poor Gervase was the dearest little thing when he was a baby, before . Children are very different from men very different, very different, Dunning. You never know how the most promising is to grow up. Sometimes theyre a a great disappointment. Theyre always a disappointment, I should say from what Ive seen, comparing the little thing with the big man, as Osy says. But, please God, well make a man of that boy, whatever happens. Ah, Meg! is it you? I was just saying we must make a man of Osy we must make a man of him whatever happens.
I hope he will turn out a good man, Uncle Giles.
Oh, we shall make a man of him, Meg! not but what, as I was saying, theyre always disappointments more or less. Your poor aunt would never let me say that, when she was breaking her poor heart for our first boy that we lost. I used to say he might have grown up to rend our hearts but she would never hear me, never let me speak. It broke her heart, that babys going, Meg. This had happened a quarter of a century before, but the old gentleman spoke as if it had been yesterday. You may think she did not show it, and looked as if she had forgotten; but she never forgot. I saw it in her eyes when she saw Gerald Piercey first. She gave me a look as if to say, this might be him coming home, a distinguished man. For he was a delightful child he might have grown to be anything, that boy!