Uncle Silas, page 209 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
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it he found his reward, in it lives my only hope; consult it, my beloved niece, day and night, as the oracle of life.'
Then he laid his thin hand on my head, and blessed me, and then kissed my forehead.
'No--a!' exclaimed Cousin Milly's lusty voice. I had quite forgotten her presence, and looked at her with a little start. She was seated on a very high old-fashioned chair; she had palpably been asleep; her round eyes were blinking and staring glassily at us; and her white legs and navvy boots were dangling in the air.
'Have you anything to remark about Noah?' enquired her father, with a polite inclination and an ironical interest.
'No--a,' she repeated in the same blunt accents; 'I didn't snore; did I? No--a.'
The old man smiled and shrugged a little at me--it was the smile of disgust.
'Good night, my dear Maud;' and turning to her, he said, with a peculiar gentle sharpness, 'Had not you better wake, my dear, and try whether your cousin would like some supper?'
So he accompanied us to the door, outside which we found L'Amour's candle awaiting us.
'I'm awful afraid of the Governor, I am. Did I snore that time?'
'No, dear; at least, I did not hear it,' I said, unable to repress a smile.
'Well, if I didn't, I was awful near it,' she said, reflectively.
We found poor Mary Quince dozing over the fire; but we soon had tea and other good things, of which Milly partook with a wonderful appetite.
'I was in a qualm about it,' said Milly, who by this time was quite herself again. 'When he spies me a-napping, maybe he don't fetch me a prod with his pencil-case over the head. Odd! girl, it is sore.'
When I contrasted the refined and fluent old gentleman whom I had just left, with this amazing specimen of young ladyhood, I grew sceptical almost as to the possibility of her being his child.
I was to learn, however, how little she had, I won't say of his society, but even of his presence--that she had no domestic