He
resumed, as fearing he had not conveyed his thought.
"What I think I mean is, miss, that, if the working of miracles
in his name wouldn't do it, it's not likely playing the fiddle
will."
"Oh, I understand you so well!" said Mary, in a voice hardly her
own, "--so well! It makes me happy to hear you! Tell me what I
can do for you."
"The poor gentleman in there must want all the help you can give
him, and more. There must be something left, surely, for a man to
do. He must want lifting at times, for instance, and that's not
fit for either of you ladies."
"Thank you," said Mary, heartily. "I will mention it to Mrs.
Helmer, and I am sure she will be very glad of your help
sometimes."
"Couldn't you ask her now, miss? I should like to know at what
hour I might call. But perhaps the best way would be to walk
about here in the evening, after my day's work is over, and then
you could run down any time, and look out: that would be enough;
I should be there. Saturday nights I could just as well be there
all night."
To Tom and Letty it seemed not a little peculiar that a man so
much a stranger should be ready to walk about the street in order
to be at hand with help for them; but Mary was only delighted,
not surprised, for what the man had said to her made the thing
not merely intelligible, but absolutely reasonable.
Joseph was not, however, allowed to wander the street.
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